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Let The Penichillin Cure You At New Bed-Stuy Cocktail Bar Diamond Reef
By
Nell Casey
Published Mar 14, 2017
Modified Mar 15, 2017
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By
Nell Casey
Published Mar 14, 2017
Modified Mar 15, 2017
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The ambitious new Bed-Stuy bar Diamond Reef offers a tropical-themed refuge in a former autobody shop on an industrial stretch of Atlantic Avenue that's more about lube jobs than getting well lubricated. But with no sleeping neighbors in the immediate vicinity, there's nobody to complain if you're drinking outside late on a summer evening.
"That's a little bit of a challenge in that there's not a lot of foot traffic on that block, but it also gives us a lot of space to be able to have that backyard," managing partner Dan Greenbaum says of the bar's industrial location, on the border of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights. "We can have people in the backyard 'til later at night, which I don't think you can find. That's the upside of being on that block."
Greenbaum was part of the opening team at Attaboy, a popular spot for the city's cocktail cognoscenti and where partner Sam Ross first created the Penicillin, the lauded scotch and fresh ginger cocktail that inspired the frozen "Penichillin" version now being offered here. Along with third partner Michael McIlroy, the trio opened Diamond Reef earlier this month, part of an expansion that includes two other forthcoming properties in Port Chester and Nashville.
"We want to move away from the doting over cocktails and intellectualising them. People who are really worshipping at the bar of a cocktails kind of seems silly to us sometimes," Greenbaum explains. "The drinks are great but it's more about the space and the vibe and friendly bartenders."
The Penichillin—a heady mix of frozen scotch, lemon, honey and ginger—has been by far their most popular attraction, even with winter still tightly gripping the city. Like they do at Attaboy, staff freshly squeeze all the juices for the cocktails, which makes itself most apparent in options like the "Booze + Juice," featuring a customer's choice of spirit combined with cloudy, fresh granny smith apple juice.
If the bar's cocktail already feel like a nod towards warmer weather, the decor further cements the balmy beach vibe. Greenbaum describes the design as "tropical, airy," but firmly states they're not going for tiki. "Tiki is great and has a place, but we want to put out clean and simple drinks with a few ingredients that taste really delicious."
Come summer, the expansive backyard will be transformed into a jungle of sorts, with lots of plants and what Greenbaum says will offer a "Miami, LA mid-century vibe." The backyard will also house the bar's forthcoming food options via a trailer kitchen parked in the space, serving five or six skewered foods like seafood, meat and vegetables. There is also a little service window for ordering drinks from the bar, which will include another frozen option—perhaps a daiquiri, margarita or pina colada riff, according to Greenbaum.
"We're doing a decent amount of beer, too, which is good, because people who aren't into cocktails can treat it as a beer bar," Greenbaum says. Options include frosty mugs of Presidente and High Life ponies plus local pours from Threes Brewing and other craft options.
And yes, they'll offer a shot and beer deal.
"In Philly, there's a thing called citywide and it's just a shot and a beer, but usually the whiskey's pretty good," Greenbaum explains. "A lot of bartenders like drinking that, too, and I think it's a good after work wind down combination."
To that end, they'll offer $10 beers and shots (with something like Dewar's 15 Year, Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky or a quality mezcal) during happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday in addition to $8 versions of some of their house cocktails.
1057 Atlantic Avenue on the Bed-Stuy / Crown Heights border; diamondreefnyc.com
Diamond Reef Drink Menu by Nell Casey on Scribd
Tagged
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cocktail bars
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