The Narrows

Stationed on the outskirts of the haute-cocktail kingdom, this democratic Bushwick drinkery balances neighborhood-bar accessibility with a serious approach to booze. The area’s DIY ethos drives thoughtful cocktails like the rye-based Caulfield’s Dream, which comes topped with a fizzy float of cava and a tuft of spearmint. But vest-clad barkeeps are just as likely to suggest a $6 beer-and-shot combo as an artisanal quaff—try an ice-cold Sol paired with a bracing measure of spicy tequila, or peruse the well-curated list of organic wines and East Coast–leaning suds. While there's no food, the bar makes an ideal pre- or postdinner drinkery if you’re hitting locavore haunts Roberta’s and Northeast Kingdom.