At Off the Presses, the Sazerac Watch never sleeps. Last sighting of this tasty cocktail: Brooklyn Social, a popular retro haunt on Court Street in Carroll Gardens. The bartender—a whimsical, floppy-haired scamp who never answered a question straight (he said he was "not there" at one point)—didn't know how to make it off the back; he had to consult a book. But he was game. Plus, he had all the ingredients. And, finally, the drink was entirely satisfactory.
The bar, by the way, was carved out of a former Sicilian social club and has kept much of that old world appeal. It's dark and clandestine, with a speakeasy feel to it. There are old pictures on the wall and a old ice box behind the bar. The drink menu appears to indicate that the bartenders are schooled in other classic drinks. (That's a ginger Old Fashioned in the photo above.)
So, so far that's a place to get a good Sazerac in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook now, as well as the Lower East Side, Tribeca, Greenwich Village and Soho in Manhattan. At this rate, I may have to take this drink off the NYC endangered list soon.
