Elsa

Should you spend the evening before a crazy fast 5k race drinking cocktails? Probably not. But Elsa had only just opened that Friday night, and we couldn't wait to go. So the race was allowed to fall down the priority list, as we made space in our lives for a couple of fantastic cocktails.

The original Alphabet City location of this bar closed in 2014. Those locals mourned it, but the locals of its newfound home are overjoyed with its re-opening. Sitting on Atlantic Avenue, half a block away from another top cocktail spot, The Long Island Bar, Elsa is already packed with thirsty locals at 6pm on a Friday.

A neon sign of an angry-looking woman sits in the window, and inside everything becomes rather glam. Crystal pendant lights, a polished brass bar, marble tables, flickering candles and beers poured through a vintage sewing machine. Quirky, cool, and the prettiest place to while away an evening.

The cocktail list is long, and demands some tough decisions. After faltering between an aged Negroni, a spiced tequila creation, or maybe even a gin & Pimm's summer sensation, we eventually settled on a Two French Sisters (vodka, St. Germain, lemon, orange bitters, Champagne) and a happy hour special Old Fashioned. And nuts. Obviously. We runners need snacks.

Do we need to tell you they were wonderful? It was hard to resist a second. But race-fueling beckoned, so the drinks had to wait for next time. And we're promised frozen rosé with watermelon in Elsa's patio in the summer months, so it won't be long before we return.

Elsa, 136 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

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The Long Island Bar

"How come it took you over a year to visit one of the best, most highly-praised, most talked about bars in the city, which is only 5 blocks from your apartment?", is a question I'll never have a good answer to. "We never had the right occasion." Not true. "We didn't have any money." True, but that didn't stop us going out for a drink every now and again. "It never felt like the right time." Probably the closest. But in reality, there is no good answer. Sometimes, things just slip further and further down the must-do list until days turn into weeks turn into months turn into years. But finally, with the excuse of celebrating the final day at what was a less-than-happy job, we stepped foot inside The Long Island bar for the first time.

At 6pm on a Friday, we were (stupidly, in hindsight) concerned we may be the only people there. But it was already packed, so we grabbed one of the last booths and snuggled up in the warm, buzzing, welcoming, retro bar, packed with happy weekend-ing locals. 

We stuck with the classics (or twists on them), and spent the evening sipping on two totally perfect, wonderful examples of how fantastic cocktails can be (without being colorful, pretentious, or ridiculously over-priced). A white Negroni sbagliato for me and a whiskey soda with a shiso leaf  for B. They were both serious, but not too intimidatingly so, both balanced, both strong, and both capable of convincing us that we need to spend more time drinking fancy cocktails, especially on a Friday night at the Long Island Bar.

The Long Island Bar, 110 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11201

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