The Silly Beer Hall?

Table Hopping column: Previewing The City Beer Hall

May 22, 2011 at 10:05 am by Steve Barnes, senior writer

In Sunday’s column, I preview The City Beer Hall, the new place taking over the former Ballingers building in downtown Albany. It opens Thursday (5/26). Short version:

Acknowledging the difficulties Ballingers faced in its incarnations as a pricey nightclub and later a Latin party house, Kaelin Ballinger says, “I think our idea — an upscale building but a very casual atmosphere centered around fun, with reasonable prices — is much more suited to the marketplace.”

Below, Kaelin Ballinger on The City Beer Hall’s mechanical bull. Photo by John Carl D’Annibale/Times Union.

The beer list is after the jump.

Here’s the opening draft list ($5 to $8 per pint; there will also be about 30 beers in bottles and cans; all beer will be available to go, in growlers, six-packs and individually):

• Abita Purple Haze raspberry wheat beer (Louisiana)
• Brooklyn Brewing lager (Brooklyn)
• Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold Belgian-style pale ale (Pleasantville, Westchester County)
• Chatham Brewing Scotch ale (Chatham)
• Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA (Delaware)
• Guinness stout (Ireland)
• Genesee Brewing American light lager (Rochester)
• Keegan Ales Mother’s Milk stout (Kingston)
• Lagunitas IPA (California)
• Ommegang Abbey Belgian-style double ale (Cooperstown)
• Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard American strong ale (California)
• Souther Tier 2X double IPA (Lakewood, Chautauqua County)
• Sly Fox pilsner (Pennsylvania)
• Troegenator dopplebock (Pennsylvania)
• Unibroue Blanche de Chambly Belgian-style wheat beer (Quebec)
• Weihenstephaner wheat beer (Germany)