This is the 28th in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we head down by the water to where the trains don’t go for a returning favorite, B61.

Photo by Ultraclay.

B61
187 Columbia St. at Degraw St., Red Hook

What it is: An easy-going prelude to dinner upstairs, or post-lude to a hard day’s work.

Why we love it: It’s definitely a bit secluded, but the views through the enormous windows make you feel connected to Manhattan, and the regulars at the bar make B61 as a whole feel like a microcosmic Brooklyn. (more…)

This is the 23rd in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we’re going deep into Gowanus to feature Beer Book newcomer The Lowlands.

Gothic Gowanus at Lowlands. Photo by Flickr's Lindsay_NYC.

LOWLANDS
543 3rd. Avenue (between 13th and 14th streets)

What it is: Brothel-chic lamps, a hyper-pleasant backyard and (all-caps) DEALS make Abilene’s sister bar the perfect option when your barge runs out of petrol on its way down the Gowanus. (more…)

This is the 22nd in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week the spotlight is on reBar, the DUMBO pub with a love of reclaimed materials of all kinds.

REBAR
147 Front St., DUMBO

What it is: Not your grandfather’s “gastropub” (where, depending on the day, you might be able to get blue cheese with your hamburger). No, grandfather, this is the real deal – with apple fennel mango slaw (for the slaw enthusiasts), ostrich (for the goofy bird lovers out there), and a lovingly curated beer list to match an incredible selection of European wines. (more…)

The (loose) inpiration.

There are certain phrases that strike fear into every living soul. Some – like “EARTHQUAKE!” “DUCK!” or “ZOMBIES!” – require an exclamation point to really hit their mark, but others are just as horrifying at a whisper: “Bedbugs,” to give one example, and, to give another, “black tie.” Bedbugs will stalk you, eat you, and spread dirty rumors about you, but – have you seen The Tuxedo? – the wrong piece of formalwear, in the wrong hands, can threaten the entire world. Thus, when I heard that a close friend’s wedding was going to be black tie, I was left with a serious problem: how to obtain a thoroughly unembarrassing tuxedo with the $300 that was left on my credit card. This is my story… (more…)

This is the eleventh in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we’re showcasing Double Windsor, a below-the-park oasis for craft beer lovers that works hard at keeping the neighborhood vibe.

Photo via Alex Lopez, NYCgo.com

DOUBLE WINDSOR
210 Prospect Park West, Windsor Terrace

What it is: A casual bar with a serious roster of American craft beers, locally sourced pub food, and frogs’ legs (not a euphemism).

Why we love it: It’s spacious, it’s cheap, and comes with an expansive view of Prospect Park West that includes Farrell’s (so that you can see today what Double Windsor might aspire to be in 150 years, in its best dreams or worst nightmares). (more…)

Prospect Park hipsters, 1910: Those knickers were considered incredibly tight at the time.

We laughed when Watson wrote “What is Toronto?” in final jeopardy last month, but we should have wept. Robots can do enough already – trivia is our thing! So let’s get it together and hit Watson where he’s weakest: we’ll take American cities for everything, Alex. From Coney Island to Greenpoint, Brooklyn stinks of history, and it’s our responsibility to get out there and smell it. Luckily, Brooklyn has tons of free resources for people who take their learning like their subway trips: cheap, efficient and victorious. Don’t just be in Brooklyn: become part of it by learning your neighborhood, and help us beat back the evil tide of the singularity. (more…)

Be ready for all the inside-industry zingers Jannes Francathaway will throw at you.

Every year, February provides us with a special opportunity to worship two very different Gods: one is a strange sort of rodent-priest, and the other is an anatomically ambiguous statuette: Oscar. Like Punxsatawny Phil, Oscar is a frivolous God, but in order to know when he has Titanicked us, we need to watch some movies. But how, when tickets are expensive and time, like Tom Cruise, is short? The answer, of course, is Netflix – and whether you want to catch up with the actual nominees or see the films that paved their way, Brokelyn’s guide has you covered. (more…)

Movie theaters are great, but they are also out to get us. They charge us for popped corns (which are made of air); they tell us to be silent (because silence is golden and they want our gold); they torture naked hot dogs on a pitiless, fiery rack, and they’ve even begun hoarding our precious bedbugs. But no more! To the beer parlors, my friends – where the movies are free, the drinks are hard, and cell phone service is restored! Brooklyn bars offer a steady diet of free movie screenings for every taste, and Brokelyn is here to help you find the screen that suits you best. (more…)