Profile

Nestled in among a strip of boisterous college bars on Amsterdam Avenue, this narrow little nook has big literary ambitions. The owner, Drew Dvorkin, was once an English teacher, and as a nod to his academic past, he's hung framed verses from Dickinson, Donne, and Joyce on the walls. Yet with all due respect to the classics, his clientele is more likely to discuss Bob Dylan than Dylan Thomas despite the lending library on hand. The total space isn't wide—it's barely 10 feet across; getting jostled when you move down the 20-foot bar is unavoidable on crowded nights. But once you've made it to the other side, there's a pool table and popcorn machine to reward your efforts. With twelve respectable beers on tap (Smithwick's, Blue Moon, Brooklyn Lager), and a wide selection of Irish whiskeys, you'll have no need to try specialty drinks like the signature Dead Poet. (The secret recipe uses seven liquors to create something akin to grape soda.) — Janelle Nanos