BOOZE: Radegast Hall & Biergarten

Grab a Pint, Sit, and Relax at Williamsburg's First Beer Hall

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Radegast Beer Hall
113 N 3rd St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 963-3973
Hours: Mon-Fri 5 PM - 4 AM, Sat & Sun 1 PM - 4 AM

Though there seems to be no end in sight for the gentrification of Williamsburg, with the boom of food and drink centering in this area, now comes Radegast Hall & Biergarten. As weird as it may be to have a full on Beer Hall in this hood and not have to trek out to the Czech Beer Garden in Queens, it surprisingly works in this area, and works well! A gorgeously designed and large all-wood interior greets you upon entering its doors and the neighboring room filled with big wooden benches made for communal seating is rather nice. Get some sausage and schnitzel, bbq style, or German inspired fare off the menu, and/or grab a beer off the two sided beer list that includes some top-notch German, Czech, and Austrian beers in the $7 pint range and your night is set. What’s next in Williamsburg, a movie theater? Please say it’s a movie theater!

--DaVe Lipp

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 7/03/2008 08:30:00 AM 0 comments

The Bar Review

Get Down and Dirty at Hugs.

Hugs
108 N 6th St
Brooklyn, NY 11211

If your feeling frisky, Hugs on a Saturday night is a great bar if you want a good or any excuse to rub up against your evening's intended partner and don't want to be bothered by awkward conversation. It’s got the atmosphere of a traditional stonecutter's meeting hall, but that's a good thing! The crowd is a lively hodge-podge of Brooklyn lovelies, the music's loud, and the cozy booths are private and dark enough for fooling around. Another plus? Skeeball, Guitar Hero, and a photo booth. Don’t forget the great Happy Hour specials (2-for-1 well drinks and $1 off beer until 8pm). What more do you want?
--Deann Horack

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 1/09/2008 06:04:00 PM 0 comments

Booze Review

Brand: Sho Chiku Bai
Type: Nigori Unfiltered Sake (Silky Mild)
Company: Takara Sake

There are many types of sakes made in many different areas of Japan that you can find on the shelf of your local liquor store and predominantly in Japanese restaurants, ranging from clear to cloudy, bitter to sweet, and best served hot, warm, or cold, and so on. I recently tried the brand Sho Chiku Bai, who makes this Nigori (cloudy white) style of sake that looks silky and smooth, while surprisingly tastes sweet. With a high rice content, you’ll have to shake it up due to that weightiness falling to the bottom of the bottle. But don’t worry, it tastes light. It pairs well with spicy food and has an alcohol content of 15%, though you won’t taste it. A cool thing here is that this Nigori style of brewing sake has been around for over 2,000 years, predating Tom Cruise becoming Japan’s Last Samurai.

Where to find Sho Chiku Bai in NYC: Momofuku Ssam, Koi Restaurant

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 12/30/2007 05:46:00 PM 0 comments