Moonshine, a new bar in Red Hook with
an old honky-tonk feel, is barely two months old and already
its regulars are thinking of having their mail forwarded there.
It probably has something to do with owner Nick Forlano’s vision:
friendly bartenders who serve cheap suds in a well-worn atmosphere.
"We’re happy hour, every hour," he says. You can get
as happy as you want because canned beer costs $1.50, while well
drinks and most draughts are $3.
Moonshine, which opened May 21 in the former location of Rocco’s,
a family-owned bar that was open from 1937 to 1975, features
the aged interior, the original bar and exposed wooden latticework.
There’s also a big British bulldog statue, a tribute to the owner’s
own pair of pooches.
But Forlano’s touch has brought the country mouse to Brooklyn.
Draught beer is served in mason jars. The jukebox is filled with
country classics (but also boasts rock and punk classics). There’s
a big barrel of peanuts-in-the-shell near the front door for
customers to dig into. And Forlano even bought and tuned an old
upright piano for the bar.
"We’re looking for people to come in and jam," he
says, for tips and beer. He also hopes to book three-piece country
and rockabilly bands in the future.
Especially attractive now, Moonshine boasts a patio with a barbecue
grill and a delicious policy of BYOM, or "bring your own
meat."
Moonshine is located at 317 Columbia St. between Woodhull Street
and Hamilton Avenue. Open nightly from 4 pm. Cash only. For more
information, call (718) 422-0563.
– Ed Beeson
