Kristi Banister, owner of both the salon and saloon, hails from a rural town on the eastern shore of Maryland, where she grew up around horses. She furnished much of the salon with her personal collection of antiques, some of which came from her aunt’s farm. When her landlord offered her the next-door space to open a bar, she maintained the salon’s equine theme but added many of the saloon’s rustic touches, handcrafted from reclaimed wood from Virginia.

In the main room, the dark wainscoting that lines the walls was salvaged from an elevator shaft, and the lovely bar top was carved from a slab of redwood, the softness of which allows beer bottles and cocktail glasses to leave their mark and enhance the aged look. Exposed brick and bare Edison bulbs add to the retro feel, and an adjacent room in the back offers a huge wraparound booth upholstered with jaunty horse-and-rider fabric for more serious drinking parties and lounging.

Appropriately, the saloon focuses on Banister’s two favorite beverages: beer and whiskey. On a recent night, six of the bar’s eight taps were dedicated to a stable of mostly craft beers, including the excellent Left Hand Milk Stout ($6) out of Colorado, Shock Top Belgian-style wheat ale ($5) from St. Louis and local favorite Six Point IPA ($5). The High Horse Lager ($5), a generic beer with the bar’s moniker attached to it, was a fairly mellow amber brew that went down easily—a little too easily, perhaps. Once the cooler weather of autumn kicks in, Banister plans to switch up the selection and expects some seasonal brews to appear. The remaining two taps delivered red zinfandel and sauvignon blanc from The Gotham Project, local purveyors of wine in a keg, for $7 each. Cold cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Colt 45 for $3 and frosty bottles of Budweiser and Rolling Rock for $4 promise an inexpensive buzz for those on a budget. But the wall of enticing bottles of wine behind the bar is, unfortunately, only for decoration.

High Horse offers more than 30 choices of fine brown spirits, including Buffalo Trace’s Elmer T. Lee single barrel bourbon ($9) and High West Bourye ($12), a union of bourbon and rye. Also on offer are small batch delights like Templeton Rye ($9), Bulleit Bourbon ($9) and Michter’s American Whiskey ($8), and smooth single malt scotches such as Glenlivet ($12) and Laphroaig ($10). For tighter wallets, the old standbys of Jameson ($7), Jack Daniels ($7) and Powers ($6) are close at hand. And a well old fashioned costs a mere $5. Specials for the thrifty but thirsty drinker include the ever popular shot-and-a-beer deal for $5. During happy hour, which begins every weekday at 2 p.m., the bar offers $1 off of well drinks and draft beer and wine.

With the big windows in the front thrown open, as they were on an unusually cool recent summer evening, the High Horse Saloon almost feels like an openair bar, and the combination of a brisk breeze and a Templeton Rye on the rocks whisked away any cares I might have had. Though its name might imply it’s a place for putting on airs, in truth, the saloon is a spot that encourages you to get off your high horse and just take it easy.

>> High Horse Saloon

103 Havemeyer St. (betw. Hope & Grand Sts.), Brooklyn,

no phone.

To design Nitehawk, owner Matthew Viragh enlisted the help of architects Caliper Studio and RePop, a vintage furniture shop in Clinton Hill. Upstairs, the theater’s lobby is dominated by a refurbished 19th-century bar, with eight rotating, mostly local, craft beers on tap and a full bar with a list of film-themed specialty cocktails devised by Jen Marshall, formerly of Prune. Patrons can sip libations before or after a show, but not in the theaters, since New York laws prohibit it. Inside the theaters, seats are paired with small tables that are lit from underneath to make it easier to order from the enticing brunch and dinner menus crafted by Saul Bolton, the Michelin-starred chef of Saul in Boerum Hill and The Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights.

Downstairs, a sleek, serpentine bar offers stools to sit and enjoy the same drinks offered upstairs, while maroon vinyl tufted banquettes, tables made from repurposed wood and elegantly crafted metal chairs fill the cafe space.

On my first visit to Nitehawk, I caught Tabloid, Errol Morris’ new documentary about beauty queen Joyce McKinney and the "Manacled Mormon" case. After the movie, I went for a cocktail downstairs, since the lobby bar felt more like a pre-show spot. I was intrigued by the low-lit, relaxed atmosphere of the ground floor cafe. The menus rotate regularly, and Marshall and Bolton create food and drink pairings for each film. I bypassed the themed cocktail for my flick, the Chloroform ($11), since its mix of Bache-Gabrielsen cognac, Peychaud’s bitters and simple syrup with an absinthe rinse and twist of lemon seemed too heady for my taste. I opted instead for the Ty Webb ($8). A nod to Chevy Chase’s playboy golfer character in Caddyshack, the Arnold Palmer-inspired drink blended housemade mint lemonade and black tea. Though it was cool and refreshing, it tasted slightly diluted and wasn’t quite as tangy or sweet as I had expected.

On another visit to Nitehawk, I began with the Orchard ($11), the themed drink for The Tree of Life, which was a festive concoction of Laird’s applejack, lemon juice, maple syrup and allspice dram that the bartender said tasted like Christmas.

Though it did have a yuletide aroma, the allspice was nicely balanced by the apple and lemon. Next, I tried the Colonel, a tart, potent mixture of Old Forester bourbon, strawberries, lemon, sugar and mint that could have used a bit more sugar and a hint more mint to cut the sourness of the lemon. The cocktails, overall, were palatable and well conceived, but the ingredients sometimes tasted disproportionate. Perhaps these are simply the kind of kinks that all new establishments have and can work out over time.

For those who prefer beer and wine, Nitehawk has it covered. In addition to the craft beers on draft, which have recently included local brews such as Brooklyn Brown Ale ($6) and Kelso India Pale Ale ($6), as well as Maine’s Peak Organic Summer Session Ale ($6), Nitehawk offers inexpensive canned and bottled beer like Pabst Blue Ribbon ($3) and Lone Star ($3). International red, white and sparkling wines go for $7 to $11 per glass.

Nitehawk’s fusion of high-quality film, drinks and food with an informal, easygoing approach make it an appealing spot to while away a few hours (and dollars). Whether with friends or a date, it’s a pleasure to spend an entire afternoon or evening there shifting from theater to bar to cafe in an environment entirely devoted to the love of film. 

>> Nitehawk Cinema 

136 Metropolitan Ave. (betw. Berry St. & Wythe Ave.), Brooklyn, www.nitehawkcinema.com

Owner Andy Heidel, a former sciencefiction book publicist and sometime bartender, channeled his industrial- Victorian aesthetic into The Way Station’s sci-fi touches. Behind the bar, homemade steampunk "rayguns" such as the absinthespoon-shooting "Intoxicator," crafted by Heidel and his business partner Doc Wasabassco, hang on an exposed brick wall. Nearby, a replica of the TARDIS, the Doctor Who spacecraft and time machine that’s disguised as a blue police box, stands ready to transport visitors—but only to the bar’s bathroom.

On a recent night, a mostly indie soundtrack filled the air and the tattooed bartender happily mixed selections from

The Way Station’s just-released summer libations list. The Train Wreck ($9), which the menu deemed "summer in a glass," included Tanqueray gin, muddled cucumber, Ruby Red grapefruit juice, cranberry juice and seltzer, making it a mildly tart, but completely delicious, concoction. But the Dark & Stormy ($7), made with Kraken dark rum, D&G Old Jamaican ginger beer and fresh lime, was candy sweet, and the flavor of lime seemed entirely lost. Though it’s not listed on the menu, the bar’s signature drink, The Way Station ($11), a heady mix of Lucid absinthe, Cointreau, seltzer and fresh lime, is available by request.

The "Gallifreyan" drink menu (a reference to an alien planet in Doctor Who) offered three brilliantly colored "Sonic Screwdrivers," $9 each, named for the multipurpose tool the Doctor and his pals employ. The "River’s Red Setting," which refers to the character "Professor River Song" and the "red setting" on her sonic screwdriver, mixed orange juice, Absolut citron and grenadine to dazzling effect. Simpler possibilities included the "Captain

Jack" ($9) (another nod to a Doctor Who character), which combined Captain Morgan rum, Jack Daniels, Coke and a cherry, and the "Companion" ($5), a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon accompanied by a half-shot of Jack Daniels.

Due to delays in opening and the ensuing costs, The Way Station had only one beer tap (once Heidel can afford a full tap system, he plans to install one) and offered a rotating regional brew for $5. Recent options have included Brooklyn favorites Six Point Sweet Action and Kelso Pilsner, as well as Peak Organic Summer Session Ale from Maine. The other beer choices were fairly standard, with bottles of Yuengling, Blue Moon, Red Stripe, Bud Light and Corona, all $5, as well as cans of Guinness ($5) and Pabst Blue Ribbon ($3), available.

Since it opened in February, The Way Station has been picking up steam. The TARDIS has proved a powerful magnet for Doctor Who fans from around the region, and Heidel says curious visitors from as far away as Alaska, Florida and Texas have ventured into the bar. And though you won’t be transported to another dimension, you could easily lose track of time at The Way Station. 

>> THE WAY STATION 

683 Washington Ave. (betw. Prospect Pl. & St. Marks Ave.), Brooklyn, www.waystationbk.blogspot.com.

"The community is very hostile and the cops are a nightmare," he explains. "We get harassed nonstop."

Now he’s setting up shop in Brooklyn, and he’s just opened Spritzenhaus, his first bar and restaurant outside of Manhattan. Given the climate on the LES, Shamlian decided his energies might be better spent elsewhere.

"I’m done with the Lower East Side," Shamlian says. "I’ve had enough."

The years leading up to this decision have been tumultuous ones for Shamlian. The former photographer entered the business in 2004 after living hand-tomouth for years and tiring of it. Because he’d seen his brother Will’s success opening Los Angeles bars, Rob chose to follow suit on the East Coast. He zeroed in on the Lower East Side, an area with which he is intimately familiar.

"I live down there. I spend all my hours down there. I know the crowd," Shamlian says. "I know what to do there."

Or, at least he knew. Shamlian chose to focus all of his attention on a three-block vicinity in an area that the blogs have dubbed "Hell Square."

Shamlian’s first nightlife venture was the aptly named Darkroom, a low-lit basement den on Ludlow Street that became a popular party spot when it opened in 2004. He parted ways with Darkroom in 2005, and later that year opened another space, Fat Baby, a block away on Rivington. Its cavernous multilevel structure made it a magnet for the barhopping hordes, and it quickly became a neighborhood fixture.

In 2007, Shamlian opened the mechanical-bull-equipped whiskey bar Mason Dixon, which instantly became a lightning rod for local residents’ growing discontent with the unruly masses of drunkards that had increased in the area.

"It was supposed to be a tongue-incheek type of thing, ‘Take the piss out of a mechanical bull on the Lower East Side,’" Shamlian explains. "It wasn’t meant to be a serious thing."

Though Shamlian was amused by the mechanical bull idea, neighbors were not. The condo residents who lived above the Essex Street bar began a very public and protracted legal battle with Shamlian over noise concerns and other complaints, and he says he was never able to finish Mason Dixon to his satisfaction because of it.

"The condo board… threw me into a lawsuit before I even started buildout," Shamlian says. "It was such a race to get it open so that I wouldn’t lose my license, it never even came close to hitting its potential. I kind of regret ever doing Mason."

But at the same time that Mason Dixon was faltering, Shamlian plunged into the restaurant world with Spitzer’s Corner, a gastropub at the intersection of Rivington and Ludlow streets he opened at his brother’s suggestion.

"It was supposed to be a European-style gastropub, and it kind of morphed into an American gastropub," Shamlian explains.

The American focus seems to have fueled the success of Spitzer’s Corner, which delivers upscale comfort food, from artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches to Kobe beef burgers, and a selection of 40 (mostly American) craft beers on tap. He continued his expansion into restaurants in 2009 with Los Feliz, a three-level taqueria and tequila bar that’s named after a Los Angeles neighborhood. And thus far, Los Feliz has, for the most part, thrived. But investing all of his resources into one neighborhood came with a price.

None of Shamlian’s spots has been immune from police crackdowns on underage drinking in the neighborhood. After receiving citations for alleged underage drinking violations, Shamlian says Spitzer’s Corner had to be turned into what’s essentially a bar in the evenings and no longer admits anyone under 21 after 8 p.m. Mason Dixon and Los Feliz were both shut down recently for alleged underage drinking, and though Los Feliz reopened, Shamlian decided to close the doors to Mason Dixon for good after expensive new security restrictions were imposed. Needless to say, his outlook on the LES has soured.

"Los Feliz is great, Spitzer’s is great, Fat Baby is doing really well, so I’ll keep those. But the second they become giant headaches to me, forget it," Shamlian says. "I’ll go where it’s a little happier."

That happy place is apparently Brooklyn. He ventured into Greenpoint to open a 6,000-square-foot beer hall called Spritzenhaus at the end of April.

"There’s other beer halls in this area," Shamlian says. "But it’s kind of like building a better mousetrap. It’s a beautiful place. It should do good business" While a space like Radegast Hall and Biergarten, which is only a dozen blocks away in Williamsburg, achieves the feel of an authentic Austro-Hungarian beer hall with its weathered dark wood interior and wide selection of Eastern European brews served in massive steins, Spritzenhaus’ industrial minimalism feels thoroughly American.

Shamlian says the behemoth bar and restaurant was inspired by a 1900s Vienna train station, but it looks more modern than retro and appears to be made in the U.S., which makes sense given that much of the interior was handcrafted by local artisans. The most intriguing aspects of the space are the two walls of windows that fold up to transform Spritzenhaus into an open-air beer hall with a view of McCarren Park across the street. But the openness also means that Spritzenhaus has become the noisy, boisterous new kid on the block.

Spritzenhaus has 100 taps, but offers only 25 drafts (which included more American craft beers than international choices on a recent evening) that are repeated four times along the 110-foot bar that winds through the space. Initially, drafts like Lagunitas IPA ($6) and Kstritzer Shwarzbier ($7) were delivered in smaller-than-a-pint, 14-ounce glasses, but the glassware has since been upgraded to include larger mugs and traditional Weiss glasses. The menu of bottled brews offered more German and Austrian possibilities, and the list will expand over time.

And since no beer hall, Americanized or not, would be complete without sausages, Spritzenhaus’s new chef Rolf Weithofer, formerly the executive chef of Prime Meats, is rolling out a menu of bratwurst, pretzels and updates on traditional dishes like sauerbraten and schnitzel, as well as oysters, which will be offered mostly because they complement the beer.

Shamlian has learned a few lessons from his clashes in the LES. Spritzenhaus faces McCarren Park and is surrounded by warehouses on both sides, so the bar and restaurant has no nearby residential neighbors who might complain about noise. And thus far, the local police and community board have been nothing but friendly.

"It’s so welcoming," Shamlian says.

"It’s renewing my faith in authorities. It’s a whole different deal."

Next year, Shamlian and his wife are moving to Brooklyn Heights, and he says he plans to open additional spots in the borough, eventually moving all of his business out of the LES entirely.

"I’m going to phase out of that area," Shamlian says. "I’m going to get the hell out of there." 

>> Spritzenhaus 

33 Nassau Ave. (betw. Guernsey and Dobbin Sts.), Brooklyn, 

no phone.

Three musicians, Justin Scurti, Arty Shepherd and George Souleidis, who’ve collectively worked at No. 7, Bar Matchless and Lil’ Frankie’s, teamed up with Josh Cohen and Blair Papagni of Anella to create the just-opened St. Vitus, which spans 2,500 square feet. Though it’s above ground, St. Vitus has a subterranean feel. Painted black from floor to ceiling, red prayer candles illuminate the bar and tables in the front room, and tiny white bulbs cast additional light in a separate back room, which has three round booths, a stage for live shows from across the rock spectrum and a skeleton slumped in the corner. Shepherd’s personal collection of Catholic ephemera, which includes crosses, bibles and a Last Rites box, adorns the bar. A print of "The Last Supper" hangs nearby.

Many of the beverage choices at this haven for metalheads and hardcore fans are on the inexpensive side and come in, for the most part, at under $10. St. Vitus’ eight taps emphasize New York beers, and recent options included Ommegang Witte ($6), a Belgian-style white crafted in Cooperstown, as well as Brooklyn Pennant Ale ($6) and Kelso IPA ($5). Brews from afar make appearances, especially when they suit the theme of the bar, such as the Back in Black on draft ($6), a rich, black IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco, and Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizen Bock ($8), a German wheat beer in a bottle. Cheaper choices abound, from the Bud, Bud Light and Sessions Red and Black in a bottle for $4, to the Coors Banquet tall boys ($4) and Genesee ($3) in a can.

In addition to the standard cocktails, like Old Fashioneds ($9), Scurti has devised a few sacrilegious concoctions to suit the mood. The bar’s signature cocktail, The Saint Vitus ($11), combines Maker’s Mark bourbon, honey, fresh lemon juice and Nero D’avola wine. His beer-and-ashot specials include the Pope, a Coors Banquet tall boy with a pickle back of Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey and pickle juice from Brooklyn Brine for $9, and The Priest, 12 ounces of Genesee with a shot of Evan Williams bourbon for $5.

To soak up the potent tipples, Cohen has designed an assortment of delicious little buns, which feature international fillings stuffed in soft white pillows for $3 each and are served with a pickle on the side. One night, the bun preparer recommended the barbecue tofu bun with kimchee, and its tangy, spicy ingredients didn’t disappoint. The Greenpoint, which comes with meaty or vegan sausage, Brooklyn Brine sauerkraut and mustard, was a close second, and an eggplant number had a richly spiced, almost smokey flavor that was complemented by lovely pecorino cheese.

As would be expected from the name of the bar, Black Sabbath was in heavy rotation, as were Nation of Ulysses and Fugazi, but I couldn’t help singing to myself, "I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky." And with an an interior as black as coal, and which, at times, seemed even blacker than night, St. Vitus will inevitably become a destination for any rock-obsessed reveler. 

>> ST. VITUS 

1120 MANHATTAN AVE. (BETW. BOX & CLAY STS.), BROOKLYN, 

NO PHONE.

Maroon walls and ornate Spanish tiles give the space a Mediterranean feel, and with only 12 stools altogether, the room is small enough that on a recent night, it was impossible to avoid overhearing conversations between the bartenders and other patrons, many of whom seemed new to the world of bitters and were anxious to learn exactly what it was that they were drinking. Rachel Ford (of Ford Mixology Lab, the cocktail website she runs with her husband) was giving descriptions of various bitters in the bar’s vast collection, which includes better-known brands like Suze and Campari as well as a wide selection of Italian amari, and mixing drinks alongside Avery Glasser, co-founder of Bittermens and managing partner at Amor y Amargo.

Glasser, who created many of the custom cocktails on the menu, was on hand mixing up a few special concoctions, answering questions and expounding on the difference between the Orange Cream Citrate, which is part of Bittermens’ experimental series, and orange bitters (essentially, the citrate is sweet and tart, but not bitter). Ford referred to a small black notebook full of recipes as she carefully prepared each cocktail in a mixing glass, and then dipped a straw in to pull out a taste and ensure each drink’s quality before serving it.

This emphasis on craft and attention to detail translated into cocktails that were as rich and complex as the descriptions suggested they would be. The Mud Season ($12 and created by beverage director Mayur Subbarao, who’s also tended bar at Dram in Williamsburg) combined Zucca Amaro, a rhubarb-based Italian bitter; Killepitsch, a fruity German liqueur; house-made sweet red vermouth; rhum agricola, a West Indian rum made from sugar cane juice; and Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters. And together, these created a dark, intense ambrosia that was garnished with a thick orange peel and became increasingly refreshing as the ice cubes in it melted. The Franaise Four-Play ($12), which blended Bonal Quinquina, a quinine-based apéritif, and Yellow Chartreuse, an herbal liqueur produced by French monks, with Lillet Blanc, club soda and Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub, was surprisingly subtle and delivered a slight lavender flavor.

If all these ingredients sound like enough to make a person’s head spin, either from trying to remember what was in the drink or experiencing these powerfully intoxicating creations, or both, they were. Luckily, the menu— including 10 custom cocktails that featured Bittermens Orchard Street Celery Shrub Bitters, Xocolatl Mole Bitters and Peppercake Bitters, a flights of liqueur beginning at $12 and three draft selections—was detailed, listing the elements of each drink. Less potent possibilities were on draft, like the delightful house-made sweet red vermouth ($4), which was served on the rocks, and a rotating British bitter beer for $6 (Fuller’s ESB made an appearance recently), and offered lovely alternatives and a way to downshift into a lower level of inebriation.

Though an emphasis on custom cocktails with exotic ingredients has become standard practice for any serious new cocktail bar, the bartenders at Amor y Amargo are more willing to share their extensive knowledge about the exceptional beverages they’re mixing than other barkeeps typically are. This is surely due to the fact that Amor y Amargo also holds formal cocktail classes and sells barware and Bittermens bitters, so the bartender’s purpose is not only to sell remarkable drinks but also to sell the pleasure of mixing remarkable drinks. Amor y Amargo succeeds on both fronts, and even patrons with only a casual interest in bitters and mixology will reap substantial rewards from a visit. 

>>Amor y Amargo 

443 E. 6th St. (betw. 1st Ave. & Ave. A), 

646-926-6702.

Co-owners Adrienne Dowd and Carmen Mello dreamed up the nauticaldive fusion while working together as bartenders at The Half King, and opened the doors to their Brooklyn joint in February. A golden mermaid and a wood sign emblazoned with an ornate anchor and the bar’s old-timey logo (which Dowd, who’s an artist, created) mark the entrance. Inside, Mello’s collection of kitschy velvet paintings lines the walls, and true to the bar’s seafaring focus, one depicting a whale and a giant squid in a oceanic death match hangs over the bar, while a vintage deep-sea diving suit suspended from the ceiling hovers nearby. Cushioned red vinyl booths, salvaged from a pizza parlor Dowd frequented in her youth, offer spots to kick back and enjoy the suds and tipples on hand.

On a recent night, the beer selection was ample and reasonably priced enough to meet the needs of those with only a little cash to spare as well as those with money to burn, and happy hour brought a $1 discount for all drafts. Six taps rotate seasonally, and recent drafts included a standard low-priced lager, Yuengling ($4) and craft brews from local breweries, such as Sixpoint’s Brownstone ($6) and Bluepoint’s Toasted Lager ($6), as well as some further afield, including Left Hand Milk Stout ($6) from Colorado. The cans and bottles covered a wide range, from the ever-popular, low-budget drink of the effortlessly cool, Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can ($3), to the bottled microbrew Dreamweaver Wheat ($7) from Tregs Brewery in Pennsylvania.

The Anchored Inn’s cocktail list steered away from the oceangoing theme and into the realm of divey rock ‘n’ roll with a menu of drinks inspired by the local bands that tend to make up the majority of The Anchored Inn’s crowd. The Mutante Supremo ($9), named after the death metal band Mutant Supremacy, was a Tecate Michelada with a shot of chipotleinfused mezcal, and The Bad Dream ($7), created in honor of the grime metal band Bad Dream, mixed stout with Stoli Vanil. Simpler well cocktails go for $6, and several fine liquors, including Woodford Reserve bourbon ($9), Whistlepig Rye whiskey ($10) and Ron Zacapa rum ($9) were available. And cheap shot possibilities abounded. Any canned beer paired with any well shot costs $5, and the ubiquitous pickle back shot, with well whiskey and pickle juice, was also a mere $5.

But despite all its welcoming qualities, The Anchored Inn’s intense noise level sometimes made it hard to relax. On a recent night, the sound of the hardcore band playing at The Acheron next door was so loud that The Anchored Inn’s bartender had to blast the Black Sabbath blaring from the bar’s speakers just to make it audible above the din. But the volume probably doesn’t register as loud to most of the patrons, since many of them seemed to be musicians swinging by before or after practice at Danbro Studios, a complex of rehearsal spaces nearby. And since The Anchored Inn’s emphasis appears to be on giving the metal-loving neighbors an inviting place to gather, why not turn it up? 

>>The Anchored Inn 

57 Waterbury St., (betw. Scholes and Meserole Sts.), Brooklyn, 

718-576-3297.

Named for a Charles Bukowski novel, the bar’s devotion to Americana comes through not only in its drink menu but also in its atmosphere. On a recent evening, classics from crooners like The Drifters and Frankie Valli gave the bar a retro American soundtrack. Warm candlelight flickered across eagle-patterned wallpaper, and rustic salvaged wood, from Build It Green! NYC, covered the adjacent walls. Lights fashioned from decorative whiskey decanters hung over a lovely vintage-looking bar, which was lined with abundant, weathered stools, and cafe-style tables near the windows were furnished with cushioned armchairs in which to relax and sip any number of sensational whiskeys.

Post Office caters to the resurgence of interest in American spirits, and its elaborate and extensive drink menu describes the subtleties and flavor of each liquor in detail. Offering whiskeys ranging in price from $4 to $15 for hefty pours, the list includes old Kentucky favorites like Early Times ($5) and Maker’s Mark ($8). But the real stars here are the small-batch spirits like Noah’s Mill bourbon (Kentucky, $11), High West Rendezvous Rye (Utah, $10) and St. George Single Malt whiskey (California, $10).

For those who aren’t bold enough to take it neat or on the rocks, Post Office delivers some beautifully rendered classic cocktails, including Manhattans, sours and old-fashioneds. A friendly server was happy to suggest an appropriate spirit for the old-fashioned, and the spicy, vibrant Redemption Rye ($6) was an excellent choice. The bar recently rolled out a few new cocktails, including the maraschino-flavored Fancy Free, the limey Bourbon Rickey and a classic New Orleans cocktail, the Sazerac. Lapushchik plans to lighten up the menu with crushed ice drinks, such as whiskey smashers, and variations on juleps when the weather warms.

For non-whiskey drinkers, a small selection of American red and white wines ($9 to $12) and a few craft brews on tap and in bottles ($5 to $6) from Oregon’s Peak Organic and New York breweries Captain Lawrence and Keegan Ales are available. And even if you aren’t hungry when you arrive, you soon will be. The smell of bacon wafts through the air as the chef, Sam Glinn, formerly of The Brooklyn Star and Momofuku Ssam Bar, concocts with gusto rich foods that go down well with whiskey. And this made it impossible to resist sampling the deliciously crisp (on the outside) and gooey (on the inside) grilled cheese sandwich (which is available with or without bacon) for $7. Glinn’s menu of sandwiches, soups and snacks included oysters with shallot vinegar mignonette at $2 each and a chicken liver bacon sandwich on a baguette ($8).

For all those whose eyes light up at the thought of a bar dedicated to whiskey, Post Office will feel like heaven. And for anyone looking to acquire a taste for this quintessential American spirit, Post Office will deliver the goods and make you understand why whiskey drinkers swear by it. 

>> Post Office 

188 Havemeyer St., (betw. S. 3rd & S. 4th Sts.), Brooklyn, 

718-963-2574.

The open, expansive space, with exposed brick, high ceilings and communal tables, creates the feeling of a small-scale beer hall, but the warm lighting and other design touches help to achieve an air of intimacy. Light boxes covered with embroidery from neighborhood artist Iviva Olenick line the walls and emanate a soft glow, and illuminated carboys (vessels used in home brewing) hang from the ceiling. Rough-hewn tables to stand at and customdesigned bamboo communal tables with accompanying benches encourage large groups as well as strangers to commingle.

A not-to-scale map of the Northeast behind the bar gives a Brooklyn-shaped chalkboard the starring role, which provides a perfect platform for listing the contents of the regularly rotating taps. All of the bar’s beverages, which include beer, wine, cider, kombucha tea (from BKKB Kombucha) and soda (from Brooklyn Soda Works) are available only on draft, which is a clever solution to the problem of waste, since this eliminates the need for bottles to dispose of later.

Though many of the pub’s offerings are from Brooklyn-based purveyors, 61 Local also carries off-the-beaten-path brews from around the region. On a recent crowded Friday night, lovely, helpful bartenders made excellent suggestions (though it would be hard to go wrong with the spectacular selection available), and offered tastes of the smoky Sixpoint Diesel ($6) and the powerful Ramstein Eisbock ($7) from High Point Brewing in New Jersey. Other delights included Ithaca Brewing’s Flower Power ($6), a strong, fruity IPA; the light and refreshing Victory Helles ($5) from Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing; and the dark and delicious Southampton Baltic Porter ($6). And the new trend of tap wine that a number of establishments, from Eataly to Williamsburg’s St. Anselm, have already embraced fits perfectly at 61 Local, where the Thirsty Owl Pinot Noir ($8) tasted smooth and refreshing.

Chris Munsey, who has lent his talents to Murray’s Cheese and Dickson’s Farmstand, brings his broad knowledge of local artisanal foods to bear on 61 Local’s menu of snacks and sharing plates. It includes cheeses from Salvatore Bklyn and Landaff cheese (from the White Mountains of New Hampshire), meats from locals Salumeria Biellese and Brooklyn Cured, pickles from McClure’s and fine baked goods from SCRATCHbread. The bar’s sumptuous signature snack, the 61 Local Ricotta Toast ($6), delivers two dense slabs of focaccia slathered with a thick, creamy layer of Salvatore Bklyn ricotta that’s drizzled with honey and dusted with pistachios.

61 Local has taken the concept of the local bar and elevated it to a fine art by creating an inviting, sustainably focused space in which locals not only commune, but also appreciate the edible achievements of some of their most talented compatriots. And this makes 61 Local something to celebrate.

_

61 Local 

61 Bergen St. (betw. Boerum Pl. & Smith St.), Brooklyn, 

no phone.

Banter’s low-lit spaciousness and dark wood interiors lend it a more refined air than most pubs, which is enhanced by the finely crafted copper-topped bar and highly polished wood inlay floor. Three wide-screen TVs hover near the ceiling and provide unobstructed views for fans of European football, but seem unobtrusive to those who aren’t watching a match. High-walled booths in the front offer privacy from the wide-open space of the bar and lend themselves to the sort of exchanges touted by the bar’s moniker. But if you’re looking for a place to meet 20 of your closest friends, with 60 seats to choose from, Banter could easily accommodate them. And the bar’s dazzling beer selection, one of its biggest strengths, will appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Twenty-four tap lines deliver classics like Guinness and Delerium Tremens alongside local favorites from Sixpoint and Brooklyn Brewery, as well as craft beers from around the country and European imports, including the potent Hofbrau Strong Bock and crisp Bitburger Pilsner. Several lines rotate seasonally, offering lesser-known suds like the Scottish blonde beer Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and Ireland’s Porterhouse Red Ale, which were featured draughts on a recent evening. The French bartender was quick to extol the virtues of the tap system and its abilities to deliver an excellent Guinness, claiming it’s the best he’s had in the United States. And if bottled beer is to your liking, Banter’s menu of more than 30 bottled brews covers broad territory, from rich Corsendork Brown ($8) to Hitachino White Ale ($5).

A long row of Jameson bottles positioned meaningfully above the bar announces a devotion to that Irish whiskey. The original goes for $6, and Jameson Gold for $12. Banter also offers an array of small-batch bourbons, including Bookers ($12) and Michters ($9), and an impressive selection of single malts, from Laphroaig ($10) to Lagavulin ($14). Wine and cocktails are available as well, and happy hour lasts until 8 every day, with $1 off well liquor and tap beers. And to stave off hunger, Banter serves up four types of panini, including portobello mushroom with Fontina, served with mixed field greens ($8).

Though Banter, which opened in  February, caters to a crowd similar to Iona’s, particularly beer-loving football fanatics from the U.K. and Ireland, Banter doesn’t yet have the homey, livedin feel that the Grand Street bar has acquired. But its many charms will likely draw a crowd of regulars who can provide the weathering Banter needs to achieve the laid-back comfort that makes any pub more enticing. 

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Banter 132 

Havemeyer St. (at S. 1st St.), Brooklyn, 

718-599-5200.