It’s not shocking that three hops-head buddies would transform a 5,000-square-foot warehouse into a brewery. It’s more unusual, however, when that concept evolves into a bi-level beast with a bar, an event space and, of all things, a coffeeshop. The unlikely combination aligns under the direction of Sycamore cofounder Justin Israelson, entrepreneur Joshua Stylman and lawyer Andrew Unterberg. Their multipurpose space sprawls over concrete floors with all the whitewashed brick and reclaimed wood you’d expect from a Brooklyn bar, along with draft beers and cocktails that you wouldn’t.
ORDER THIS: The brewery’s suds are tapped from 30-keg tanks behind the bar, including their double IPA Superf*ckingyawn ($6), loaded with fresh, grassy hops and just enough malt to balance a crisp pineapple-mango finish. The hearty Baltic porter Voluntary Exile ($7), however, takes more time to get through, with a bittersweet coffee-chocolate body. Ask for a barrel-aged rye float ($3) to cut the sweetness in half.
GOOD FOR: Keeping all your booze-seeking buds happy. Spread out at one of the beer-hall–worthy oak-wood tables and take your pick of the spirits: The draft lines include four vino blends like the Estezargues ($8), a zippy côtes du rhône and Patience ($8), a buttery chardonnay. But it might be the cocktails that best reveal how versatile the bar can be, such as a stiff twist on the rosemary Ophelia ($13), smoked-up with mescal and herbal cynar.
THE CLINCHER: A lofted café inside the brewery serves Ninth Street Espresso coffee and Balthazar baked goods like chocolate croissants ($3). Pop in for a morning latte under the sun-soaked skylights, spend the afternoon munching on grub from a rotating cast of local eateries (recent residencies include the Meat Hook and Roberta’s), or take things upstairs after dark, when the coffeeshop converts to a public performance and private event space (or semisecret seating on a slow night). Three’s company—and what fine company it is.