Bar of the Week: Blind Tiger Ale House

Blind Tiger Ale House, the much-loved Village beer bar, has had a rough time of late. First, a Starbucks took over its Hudson Street home in 2005, at which point it moved to new digs on Bleecker and Jones. Then, due to a drawn out back-and-forth with the New York State Liquor Authority, Blind Tiger was forced to operate as a coffee shop for a year. Finally, as of late March, Blind Tiger, as we knew it and loved it, is back in business. Built with the beams and floors of a 19th-century farmhouse, the new space feels newly old in a non-forced kind of way. There's something precious about the spot, as patrons sit by the wood-burning fireplace, sampling deviled eggs, grilled-cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Though the floor is cleaner and the crowd a little less rough around the edges, Blind Tiger is still what it first set out to be: a bar for beer lovers. With 28 beers on tap, you can throw down everything from an Ommegang Witte to a Southampton Double White Ale. There are also about 60 bottled beers, a slew of rare vintage beers and a gravity keg on hand. Now that Chumley's is indefinitely out of service, this is one of the last spots for good, old Norman Mailer-style Village beer-swigging. 281 Bleecker St., (212) 462-4682. Alexis Swerdloff