“Did you just walk in off the street?” a bartender at Dram Shop, a new Park Slope bar, asked me when I walked in the door. On that day, he explained, the bar wasn’t officially open yet, but he invited me to stay as long as I wanted and drink free Brooklyn Lager.
This was my kind of place.
In addition to 12 taps, a full bar and a menu of simple grub like burgers and hand-cut fries (courtesy of former Grocery sous chef and Martha Stewart Living editor Lesley Stockton), the now open-for-business Dram Shop has the feel of a mellow, inclusive frat house.
It’s no surprise since owners Clay Mallow and Wade Hagenbart have both already cut their teeth with successful independent establishments — Angry Wade’s bar on Smith Street and Sweet Melissa patisseries in Cobble Hill and Park Slope.
“We were both born and raised in Brooklyn, and we want this to be a real neighborhood bar,” said Mallow. “You don’t have to get all dressed up to come here. It’s the place you can hang out and drink all day without getting hassled.”
Despite the laid back vibe, the name — a unit of measurement equal to one-eighth of an ounce, used in parts of the distillation process — is clearly an appeal to whiskey connoisseurs.
With activities like shuffleboard and pool, and a spacious outdoor area, there is plenty here to occupy you for hours at a time. Bathrooms are unisex, too, with full-length doors on individual stalls, so you could totally hook up if you wanted to.
We’re not saying you should, but isn’t it exciting to know it’s a possibility?
Dram Shop Bar (339 Ninth St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues in Park Slope) accepts American Express, MasterCard and Visa. The bar is open Sunday through Thursday, from 3 pm to 4 am, and Fridays and Saturdays, from noon to 4 am. For information, call (718) 788-1444.
