Maison Premiere
Paying homage to the good old days of romantic Paris, Maison Premiere features oyster and absinthe pairings, and is home to "the world's most accurate working replica" of the absinthe fountain from the famous Olde Absinthe House in New Orleans. Maison Premiere is a great place to enjoy a well-crafted cocktail with friends, but if you find yourself arriving solo at this Williamsburg establishment, you can always drink with the green fairy.
Tooker Alley
Tooker Alley was inspired by Chicago's historic "Dil Pickle Club," a semi-secret cultural melting pot hangout that went way beyond your typical speakeasy of the '20s. With its classic cocktails that nod to the founding members of the Dil Pickle Club, Crown Heights' Tooker Alley reproduces the community and brotherly love originally found in Chicago's DPC.
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
In traditional, German biergarten fashion, Radegast serves food and drink Hofbrauhaus-style, in large pint glasses along communal wooden tables. The smell of charred bratwursts and hot, soft pretzels with mustard, wafting out onto the streets of Williamsburg, is so tantalizing that it's nearly impossible not to order some noshes.
The Cobra Club
The Cobra Club wants to be your bar, your coffee shop, your yoga studio, and your friend. All these concepts exist in one Bushwick bar because the beautiful minds behind The Cobra Club believe that they're all interconnected anyway, so why make them mutually exclusive? Cocktails are their specialty, and run from the classic Negroni to the extravagant "Return of the Fly," a combo of Prosecco, Cointreau, and elderflower liqueur.
Tørst
Tørst is the Greenpoint hot spot for craft beer lovers, the love child of Evil Twin Brewing's Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso and former head of Momofuku's test kitchen Daniel Burns. Barely a year old, Tørst offers a crisp, Scandinavian-like space where customers can enjoy a craft beer (there are always multiple Evil Twin brews on draft) and bites from the bar menu. Get there on Sunday when the bar has a weekly pig roast.
Floyd
When most Brooklynites hear "Floyd," their first thought is usually "beer cheese." This middle American-inspired bar in Brooklyn Heights operates around its homemade beer cheese which is, yes, cheese made with beer, a Kentucky specialty. The bar also serves a number of different bourbons, which you can drink over a game on one of Floyd's indoor bocce courts.
Clover Club
Clover Club, which just celebrated its sixth anniversary, is an old-fashioned cocktail bar in Cobble Hill where the mixologists let their hand-crafted well drinks do the talking. The bar was named for the original Clover Club, an exclusive group of Philadelphia journalists in the late 1800s who met monthly to drink and socialize. With nearly 30 signature cocktails on the menu, there's something for every taste and preference.
Bushwick Country Club
Don't be fooled by the name — Bushwick Country Club isn't actually a country club. It's also not in Bushwick — it's in East Williamsburg. But before you say, "Well, what's the point?" we should point out that BCC has reliable, cheap drinks, tons of board games, and a hipster-friendly outdoor patio that features an ironically decrepit mini golf set. Show up on your birthday, and your drinks are free until the end of the night.
Hank's Saloon
Rarely does a night go by at Hank's Saloon without a live band playing for the laidback crowd of bargoers. Most of the shows are completely free and complete the "sweet ass bar" vibe Hank's goes for. Sip a cheap drink and chow down on some free sausages from the bar's Boerum Hill sidewalk grill as you rock out to the music.
Char No. 4
If whiskey's your game, Char is the name. Named for the practice of aging whiskies and bourbons in charred oak barrels, Char No. 4 welcomes customers into an old Cobble Hill row house that dates back to the 19th century. And staying true to its name, Char No. 4 serves traditional, smoky southern barbecue fare that pairs perfectly with its more than 300 whiskies.
