124 Rabbit Club
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124 Rabbit Club, at 124 MacDougal Street, is one of our favorite dive-esque bars in the city, featuring an amazing list of rare beers from around the world. It’s a small subterranean space, a hole in the ground, so we assumed the name was a reference to Lewis Carroll's “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.” It is, but it’s also an homage to the Black Rabbit, a notorious Village club in the 1890’s that was shut down in 1900 for showing live sex on stage. (Reporting on the Black Rabbit raid, the New York Times said “Sodom and Gomorrah would blush for shame at hearing to what depths of vice its habitués had descended.” Apparently the Village denizens knew how to party as far back as 1900, and the tradition continues at 124 Rabbit.)
Amidst the chaos of MacDougal Street, 124 Rabbit Club can be a challenge to find. Look for #124, then walk down the stairs through the black door with a rabbit on the right. If it’s after 6pm and the door is still locked, try ringing the bell, speakeasy-style.
Once inside, check out the eclectic crowd and Leipziger Gosebeer, an unusual German wheat beer with salt & coriander added for flavor. We also like the Allagash options and the unique Wells Banana Bread Beer.