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Community Corner

Taking a Spin at Hanson Dry

Our drinking columnist loves the new fancy watering hole on Fulton Street.

A bar for cocktail snobs may seem unfitting to Clinton Hill, but many locals would argue it is exactly what the neighborhood needs.

While “researching” for last week’s piece, I got my first look inside and decided it was in need of investigation while that new bar smell was still fresh in the air.

As a detour away from my usual ramblings I enlisted the assistance of Sarah Todd and Karen Fu, two dear friends and veteran bartendresses from an undisclosed high-end speakeasy in the East Village. With their professional expertise, I planned to get deep into the cocktail menu at this classy new establishment and receive an on-the-job crash course in modern libations.

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Even before drinks were served, my bartenders were quick to comment on the presentation.

“I like the menu.  It’s not overly descriptive and very classic, despite all the silly names,” said Fu, “This is definitely a menu for drinking, not sampling.”

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Katharine Meany, our sharp and methodical bartender, mixed a flight of the six signature cocktails and we got to work. It was quickly agreed that the Hayterade and Nautilus were excellent party drinks and conversation slipped to summer tales of backyard barbecues, tube tops and sandy beaches.

Gathering our whits back into the February reality, we focused on the more serious task at hand. Fu and Todd were both fans of the Tux, a nice rye whiskey with an absinthe rinse similar to a classic Old-Fashioned. I gravitated towards the Adopted, a syrupy gin experiment my grandfather would likely swill before a slurred retelling of gruesome war stories at the dinner table. Delicious.

We all agreed that the crown jewel of the bar was its namesake, the Hanson Dry. Although skeptical of the vanilla, my team was easily convinced of its charms upon sampling. It is a drink worthy of a special visit to Fulton Street.

But not all the cocktails were home runs. The Kiev Kooler was the outlier, a painfully sweet mix of cherry and vodka that should be paired with a packet of Excedrin and a doctor’s note. The bar staff enjoyed our looks of revulsion.

“Easily our best seller.” said Meany, “I made thirty-two of those for a party of four last night.”

I take that as further proof that I need to stick with the brown liquors.

The positive energy at Hanson Dry cannot be overstated. Owner Chris Buckley designed the space with an impressive attention to detail that truly delivers a complete drinking experience. The decor is functional, creative and genuinely tasteful, a welcomed addition to an already vibrant and diverse neighborhood.

“I wanted a classy bar with drinks that can be made in two minutes, not 10. We try to stay away from herbs and infusions.” Buckley said, “It’s drinks for people that like to drink.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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