It’s finally warm out, so here’s where to grab a drink in Bushwick to enjoy the beautiful weather. We have it all: beer gardens, rooftops, and backyards. Catch some of Summer’s hottest parties, or just enjoy a sunset in a hammock, while sipping on a refreshing beverage.
1. Nowadays
Nowadays isn’t your typical watering hole, according to owner, Justin Carter. Instead of donning the space a biergarten, or a nightclub, he favors the term, “a gathering space,” allowing room for variety in the community.
Entering Nowadays’ massive 16,000-square foot outdoor space feels like an escape from the concrete clad landscape just outside its doors. Offering an eclectic series of events every season, ranging from an on-site sauna in the winter, to reading events, and film screenings, Nowadays gears up their summer calendar with weekly Saturday barbeques and Mister Sunday parties––an outdoor day party, accompanied with food truck fare, drinks, and top DJs on the decks.
Nowadays is located at 56-06 Cooper Ave. in Bushwick on the Ridgewood border with weekday happy hours until 8 p.m.
2. The Rookery
The Rookery is housed in an industrial space, featuring an outdoor beer garden in the front, and a unique 16-foot horseshoe-shaped bar in the heart of the space. Starting in June, for Pride month, The Rookery will be carrying “Pride Vodka,” and donating a portion of the bottle sales to LBGTQ+ causes.
You may have also noticed our mentioning of The Rookery when it comes to late night eats, where you can munch on West-Indian inspired cuisine, like their oxtail sloppy joe, until 2:30 a.m. on weekdays and 3:30 a.m. on weekends. In addition, every Tuesday the Rookery hosts a trivia night, with generous prizes awarded to the top three players. On Saturday nights check out resident DJ Foreign Kenny.
The Rookery is located at 425 Troutman Street. Hours: Monday-Friday 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 11 p.m. – 4 p.m.
3. Our Wicked Lady
Opened in 2015, Our Wicked Lady has steadily earned a reputation for a great summer night venue, where you can grab fresh air on a large, 1,600-square-foot rooftop, while checking out local live music acts––a great combo even before accounting for solid drinks!
The seasonal Sunday Soul Scream just kicked off as well, so if you’re craving some ‘60s soul, look no further than Our Wicked Lady. Beyond this, other events include rooftop movie showings, evening karaoke, and delicious cookouts. On Thursdays, keep in mind that Our Wicked Lady also donates 10 percent of bar proceeds and donations towards a new charity every month.
Our Wicked Lady is located at 153 Morgan Ave. Hours: Sunday-Tuesday 5 p.m. -2 a.m., Wed-Sat 5 p.m.- 4-a.m
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
4. ELSEWHERE rooftop
Elsewhere Rooftop is a large seasonal outdoor bar and events space right at the top of Elsewhere, a beloved nightlife space and live music venue. Come by for shows, parties, sunset DJ sessions, food pop-ups, film screenings, and much more. Make sure to check their daily events calendar to learn more about what’s coming up this season!
Their summer menu includes craft beer, signature frozen drinks, rosé, elderflower wine, and other goodies to cool off this Summer.
Located at 599 Johnson Avenue. The rooftop is only open when events are happening —make sure to check out the venue calendar before stopping by!
5. Forrest Point
The name Forrest Point is no coincidence once you see the outdoor seating area lined with fresh vibrant hanging greens, which even got them nominated for Brooklyn’s “Most Strongly Rooted Tree of 2019.”
You can swing by to enjoy a quick order of Chilaquiles, a delicious traditional Mexican dish, or stay a while and sip on one of their signature cocktails, like the “Jets to Brazil,” made with barrel-aged Brazilian cachaça, for a refreshing chill day. Forrest Point also offers boozy brunches on weekends, and occasionally hosts drag brunches, the next one being on June 1 at 11 a.m.. If brunch isn’t quite you’re thing though, grab your popcorn at the bar on a Monday night and treat yourself to a movie screening.
Forrest Point is located at 970 Flushing Avenue. Hours: Mon-Thur 12PM-12AM, Fri-Sat 10AM-2AM, Sun 10AM-12AM
6. Arrogant Swine
Calling all barbeque fans! Bringing a taste of Southern flavor to Bushwick, Arrogant Swine is a 3,000 square-foot beer garden, with 20 beers on draft, a selection of roughly 50 craft beer choices, and an extensive whiskey collection. Most notably though, they’re New York City’s first and only space specializing in traditional Carolina whole hog BBQ, smoking pigs slowly over live embers which are burned down from hardwood logs. If you’re vegan and reading this, you may think this isn’t the place for you, but Arrogant Swine does have a vegan menu including a variety of smoked cuisine.
Arrogant Swine is located at 173 Morgan Avenue. Hours: Mon Closed, Tue-Thur 12PM-2AM, Fri-Sat 12PM-4AM, Sun 12PM-12AM
7. Brooklyn Beer Garden, Bushwick
Perfect for all of our artists in the neighborhood, or really anyone that’s looking for a photogenic spot to grab a drink, the Brooklyn Beer Garden in Bushwick recently opened for the summer season. Not only offering a wide range of local brews and eats, but a wide curation of local artists, including work commissioned by @Isabelle_Ewing_, @reggiewarlock and @biancadoesnyc, grace the space ahead of beautiful backdrop view of New York City’s skyline.
The space is great for a summer date, especially if you sit in the “one love” seating section, where the word love is painted in 90+ languages by @_marco_santini_. This summer’s beer garden is a part of a larger pop-up project, which brings Brooklyn-inspired curated beer gardens to other cities, such as Williamsburg currently, and Wynwood, Miami earlier this winter.
Brooklyn Beer Garden in Bushwick is located at 33 Wyckoff Avenue.
Hours: Tue, Wed: Closed, Mon/Thur-Fri: 2PM-12AM, Sat-Sun: 12PM-12AM
Cover image courtesy of Elsewhere Rooftop.
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