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Huda, a charming Levantine bistro located in Williamsburg, offers a thoughtfully curated beer selection. Among its offerings is a sumac and sour cherry gose that beautifully complements the flavors of the kebab karaz, as well as a crisp lager enhanced by Persian blue salt, which balances the tanginess of smoked labne. Both of these unique brews are crafted by Back Home Beer, a local, woman-owned brewery based in Staten Island, with Persian roots.
Around New York City, restaurateurs are embracing innovation with their drink selections by utilizing culturally specific beers. These establishments are moving past the standard options—such as Tsingtao in Chinese restaurants or Singha in Thai spots—to offer rarer, small-batch brews that enhance culinary experiences. Despite indications that the craft beer market is reaching its peak, as noted in a recent New York Times report, this growth has paved the way for the emergence of globally inspired beers.
Phoenix Palace serves as a tribute to Chinatown, where diners can enjoy a pilsner brewed with green Sichuan peppercorns. This flavorful pairing amplifies the experience of savoring salt and pepper cuttlefish. The brew is provided by Young Master, a prominent name in the contemporary Asian craft beer market based in Hong Kong.
Elsewhere on the Upper East Side, Chola and Lungi offer a delightful combination of pani puri and fish fry paired with Rupee, an Indian American beer brand developed in 2020. The brewery aims to complement “Indian, spicy, and world” cuisine, resonating with an increasingly global palate.
In an exciting twist on Thai beer, Thai Diner serves the newly crafted “Thai Disco” alongside Massaman curry disco fries. This innovative lager is produced by Connecticut’s Twelve Percent Beer, featuring a blend of lemongrass, pineapple, and both red and green Thai bird chiles. Chef and co-owner Matt Danzer draws inspiration from a beer he previously made while at Uncle Boon’s, which has since closed. He saw an opportunity to revamp and improve it for the new restaurant.
At Williamsburg’s Kru, diners can enjoy Bearnana Wit from the Thai brewery Yodbeer, which incorporates sundried bananas. Thanks to a new effort by a Thai beer distributor, these once hard-to-find brews are now making their way into New York City restaurants. Jeff Sivayathorn, a partner at Kru, emphasizes the relevance of the banana ingredient, stating, “I think everyone knows Singha and Chang, and this is a good opportunity to offer something else.”
Huda’s selection of Back Home Beer reflects a shared cultural narrative. The brewery’s owner, Zahra Tabatabai, creates beers inspired by her grandfather’s traditional brewing practices in Iran. Her mission includes showcasing that while Iranian beer is rare in New York City, the craft is rooted in ancient practices. Owner Gehad Hadidi highlights the common heritage shared between the brewery and the restaurant’s culinary offerings, saying, “That’s a really similar story to what our restaurant does with our cuisine.”
At Edy’s Grocer, located in Greenpoint, patrons can find Back Home’s sumac beer alongside the widely recognized Lebanese beer Almaza. This refreshing pairing, often enhanced with lemon juice and a salted rim, serves as a perfect match for their fresh sandwiches and salads. For owner Edy Massih, Almaza evokes cherished memories of summers on Lebanese beaches with his grandfather.
The effort to diversify offerings extends beyond beer, with wine selections also evolving. A new trend among Korean restaurants, such as Chinatown’s Sunn’s and East Village’s Sinsa, is the inclusion of locally produced makgeolli. Simultaneously, the new China Wine Club aims to introduce wines from Chinese producers to the New York market, with Lai Rai spotlighting a Vietnamese rice wine maker.
Some restaurateurs are striving to cultivate a market for lesser-known beverages. Huda is looking to broaden its offerings by focusing on arak, an anise-flavored liquor typically distilled from grapes. Though popular in the Levant, arak remains somewhat obscure in the U.S. Hadidi’s goal is to familiarize diners with various flavor profiles to foster a deeper appreciation. In line with this vision, Huda also features a Yonkers-distilled version of the Persian spirit known as aragh sagi, made with raisins.
At Unapologetic Foods’ restaurants—predominantly Indian and one Filipino—chef and partner Chintan Pandya crafted a beverage menu emphasizing beers made with local ingredients that harmonize well with the food. Shunning commercially available options, Pandya is committed to sourcing exclusive beers from local breweries. This philosophy guided the collaboration with Transmitter Brewing, which operates in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The lineup of Unapologetic-exclusive beers includes unique selections such as basmati rice lager, coconut IPA, and mango saison, all created with a nod to the ingredients commonly used in Asian cuisine. “We sell a lot of beers across all our restaurants,” Pandya shares, emphasizing the importance of creating unique dining experiences.
While opting for a popular beer like Stella might be easier, Pandya highlights the value in crafting distinctive beers that truly enhance the dining experience, saying, “If I create exclusive beers for you or beers which are very specific to the breweries, we are creating a very unique experience.”
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ny.eater.com