Dear TONY,

Was wondering if you could help me find a place in lower Manhattan to buy a keg of beer.
Thanks.
CH

Dear CH,

Technically, you rent the keg and buy the beer, but that’s the kind of unhelpful hairsplitting you probably weren’t looking for. One of your best bets is to call New York Beverage at 718-401-7700. It’s up in Hunts Point, but will deliver a keg of beer to your lower-Manhattan doorstep. Here’s what it will cost you:

Expect to pay $70 in delivery fees ($35 each way). You’ll also need to front a $155 cash deposit ($35 store deposit for the tap, $75 NY State deposit on the keg, plus the deposit on the tub that will hold the keg and some other stuff)…you know, in case you break something while doing a keg stand. Give the deposit to the delivery guy and get it back upon pickup.

But we’re not done yet, bucko—that doesn’t include the beer. They keep everyday stuff on hand, like Bud ($105), Heineken ($170) and Stella Artois ($190). Other (and in our opinion, more desirable) brews, like Brooklyn Lager ($179), require about a week’s notice.

If you don’t like the sound of that, and depending on your plans, perhaps you want to consider growlers instead. These reusable, half-gallon glass jugs—which any self-respecting beer drinker should keep on hand—are filled with pressurized brews on tap, often really great ones at decent prices. Check out Whole Foods Bowery Beer Room and New Beer Distributors downtown, or Bierkraft and Grab Specialty Foods in Brooklyn for more info.