Whether you’ve jumped the turnstiles (not recommended, but we get it) or pony’d up for one last $104 monthly MetroCard before the fare hikes in March, the next L stop on this Drink & Ride gets you to Morgan – previously only a name you associated with girls who played high school field hockey. Luckily, there are enough new bars and old favorites near this stop to make your trip worth venturing a little further into Bushwick.
#1 Pine Box Rock Shop: 1 block away
With its bare bones, err, bare wood interior, it would be easy to dismiss Pine Box as yet another Brooklyn dive. Au contraire. The factory-like, rustic interior is a vegan’s paradise since all the booze is free from animal products, with the owner going so far as to make her own vegan versions of our favorite spirits. Taste and quality are never comprised; you’ll find favorites like Narraganset Lager ($5), Sixpoint Resin ($6), and Anchor Porter ($6) on tap, plus cocktails using ingredients like homemade pickle brine, candied ginger and Bosco syrup. On a lucky night, you’ll catch live music. On an “unlucky” night, you’ll have to satisfy your concert yen by studying the many tickets beneath the clear bar top, including stubs from LCD Soundsystem, Beastie Boys and John Cougar (Mellancamp, we hope). Before you go, make sure to look up at the mason jar lighting to see a creative use of Brooklyn’s favorite container.
What to Drink: The so-good-it-can’t-be-vegan root-beer-float-like Sam in a Sweater ($10)
