by Denise Marie Anton

Created on: April 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 22, 2011

For a neighborhood atmosphere and a great selection of brews, sample one of these five outstanding Brooklyn bars, each with its own unique personality and a beer list that won't quit.

Bar Great Harry, 280 Smith St., Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, NY (718) 222-1103 (http://bargreatharry.com/). Decisions, decisions: With a rotating roster of 12 draft beers on tap, 60-70 bottles, and the occasional gravity cask, Bar Great Harry is all about choice. If you lack the patience to read the whole beer menu, ask one of the knowledgeable bartenders for a recommendation.

Beer Table, 427 Seventh Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY (718) 965-1196. Open 5pm-1am daily (http://beertable.com/). If the selection at Bar Great Harry leaves your head reeling, try Beer Table, where just 25 outstanding bottles and a handful of exotic drafts have made the cut. Pair them with inventive kitchen fare like pickled fennel with Thai chili on orange zest.

The Diamond, 43 Franklin St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY (718) 383-5030. Open 5pm-1am Monday-Thursday, 5 pm-2:30am Friday, 4pm-2:30am Saturday, 4pm-1am Sunday (http://www.thediamondbrooklyn.com/). The Diamond's eight drafts and 30-odd bottles are evenly divided between lighter session beers and stronger brews that run the gamut from pale ales to the infamous t Gaverhopke.

Radegast Hall & Biergarten, 113 N. 3rd St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY (718) 963-3973. Open 5pm-4am Monday-Friday, 1pm-4am Saturday-Sunday (http://radegasthall.com/). At Radegast Hall & Biergarten, Austria-Hungary lives on amid the schnitzel. Germany, Belgium, Austria, and the Czech Republic are well represented among the dozen taps and nearly 40 bottled imports.

t.b.d., 224 Franklin St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY (718) 349-6727. Open 4pm-2am Sunday-Thursday, 4pm-4am Friday-Saturday http://tbdbrooklyn.web.officelive.com/. If you prefer concrete to Old World kitsch, enjoy the art exhibits and regional microbrews on tap t.b.d. in Greenpoint, where the prices are as minimalist as the decor.

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