A review of Princeton’s bars

Let us begin with the familiar: Triumph Brewing Company located at 138 Nassau St. The main attraction is definitely the selection of in-house brewed beer, though Triumph does have a bar stocked with the essential hard alcohols for a set of basic, well-mixed cocktails. The beers at Triumph are special in that each variety is incredibly approachable. Even the less adventurous drinker can enjoy each of the seven beers on tap. The IPA is not too hoppy, the stout not too bitter, the Belgian not too alcoholic, the smoke beer not to charcoaled. Each variety is the baby bear of its style. The safe nature of the brews makes the seven-part taster series they provide their customers a no-brainer. When the drinker finds the beer that speaks most directly to him, he can walk away with a “growler” of that beverage, which is a tankard that amounts to about five drinks.

For the avid beer lover who wants to explore beyond the seven pours that Triumph has to offer, I recommend the Alchemist and Barrister (28 Witherspoon St). A&B has a lovable, semi-dingy feel that makes the drinker feel at home. The beer list is quite extensive and includes exotic large format bottlings from Dogfish Head. There are eight beers on tap, and for some reason, A&B has an inverted happy hour, where the beer is cheaper late at night than it is during the traditionally quieter pre-dinner hours. The cocktails leave something to be desired as they tend to be unbalanced and a bit watery, but the pours of alcohols taken neat (a liquor served without being chilled and without any water, ice or other mixer) are generous, and the selection includes a few good scotches and the essential bourbons, tequilas and gins. The prices at A&B are good, and the selection of international and experimental beers are unparalleled at any other bar.

If Alchemist and Barrister is only semi-dingy, the Ivy Inn (248 Nassau St) is the closest thing this town has to a dive bar. Ivy Inn is the most rambunctious of the Princeton bars and also the most bare-bones. The selection is limited to the basics: Guinness, Bud Light, Blue Moon and other highly recognizable brands. Interestingly, and little known, Ivy Inn is the place to purchase a six-pack of beer after the liquor stores have closed as it is open the latest. If it were your job to provide the alcohol for a party and all the stores closer to campus are closed, the five- to 10-minute trek east on Nassau can be your saving grace. Another interesting facet of Ivy Inn is their Wednesday Karaoke. This is the only time I have seen other Princeton students at this bar and probably the night worth checking out.

Another bar dominated by the non-student townsfolk is the Princeton Sports Bar, located right across from Firestone. I admittedly have only been to PSB a few times, though each time I felt quite out of place as it was populated by a much older crowd of 40-somethings and their friends. I understand they recently underwent some renovations, and I intend to go take a look at the improvements.

I rarely go to the Yankee Doodle Tap Room (10 Palmer Square E), only because it closes at 10 p.m. every day, so it may be harder to judge, but of the bars, this one feels the most collegiate (perhaps I mean Ivy League). Yankee Doodle is well-appointed, has interesting fresh beers on tap and has intimate booth areas for quieter conversation. It feels like the type of bar to be featured in a film about Princeton. The only thing that precludes me from enjoying Yankee Doodle more is the prohibitive opening hours.

The newest and swankiest (by far) bar in town is Agricola, located at 11 Witherspoon St. This is the only place in town to get a truly well-crafted and consistent martini. The mixed drinks are the biggest draw to Agricola’s bar. Their specialty menu features 10 drinks at a time, all of which are unique and well thought out. The current set of 10 is a bit sweet for my taste, but their dirty vodka martini is a real winner. The collection of hard alcohols is also unique to this town in that there are interesting tequilas, bourbons and exceptional gins from around the country (I recommend Ransom’s Old Tom Gin and Aviation Gin). The atmosphere is very aesthetically pleasing; the staff is very friendly, and if you are willing to splurge, the cocktails are unmatched.

It is curious that the Princeton drinking culture doesn’t include the town’s bar scene. The pregame, Street, Frist, post-game arrangement leaves little room for other drinking opportunities. But they exist and are fun. The bars do lack many of the things Princeton students seek in a night out: music and a dance floor. Though, if one intends to have a quieter, more subdued intimate night with friends, I highly recommend checking out one of the six bars reviewed above.

Aaron Applbaum is a Wilson School major from Oakland, Calif. He can be reached at applbaum@princeton.edu.