Pacific Standard

My neice, Katie, is coming to visit at the end of next week and she expressed an interest in going to an Ethiopian restaurant.  Guess they don't have much ethnic food in Alaska, except maybe raw seal blubber.  I found one (an Ethiopian restaurant, not a seal) kind of in my neighborhood and decided to check it out.  It was quite a walk and the place wasn't open, but at least it is still in business.  Right across the street was an Australian pub named Sheep Station.  Alas, it too was closed.  We will go there one evening when Katie is in town, and they should both be open.

It was a bit of a walk and the day was hot so I bet you can guess the next part.  You are right, I found a neat little bar to pop into.

Pacific Standard


Pacific Standard is on 4th Avenue, a still somewhat gritty stretch that is largely commercial.  But, mark my words, it will undergo gentrification once the economy turns around.  You are already seeing signs, and this bar is an early indicator.  It has only been here three years although it looks older.  Maybe there was another bar here before this one.

Nothing overly pretentious about the place, but kind of cozy looking, like an old pub.  And they have a very decent selection of beers on tap.

A Nice Selection


I started out with a Rye Knot from the Chelsea Brewery that is located in Manhattan.  I have written about the Chelsea Brewery before and it is well worth visiting.  They have a nice restaurant with great views of the marina on the Hudson River.

Anyway, the beer comes in at a nice 6% ABV and is brewed using three types of rye that make-up about half of the total mash.  A nicely flavored beer with a good balance of spice and hops.  But not at all sweet.  A very nice summer beer and you could easily spend an afternoon drinking these.

Quenching My Thirst


I followed that one up with a Captain Lawrence Kaptain's Kolsch.  Captain Lawrence is located in upstate New York and I felt a bit guilty ordering this.  The owner's of Pacific Standard are both from California and they did have several California micro-brews on tap.  Maybe next time.

I generally like the Kolsch style of beer, kind of a light, slightly lemony flavor and very refreshing.  This one is a 5.5% ABV and is a light, pale yellow color and true to its style.  A nice alternative to weiss beers for a summeer brew.

The back room of Pacific Standard is a bit different.  Where you would expect to find a pool table there is a little library.

The Reading Room


There are board games available so you could get yourself a beer or two and head back there to play checkers or read a book or something.  Pacific Standard also hosts readings, so very West Coast.  The owners are probably from San Francisco.

Pacific Standard has a nice website that also links to their blog:

http://www.pacificstandardbrooklyn.com/events.html

They also have their own beer glasses, not just the promotionals from the breweries.

A Glass With Class
 

As I mentioned, this bar has a bit of an old pub feel to it with little tables in nooks up front where you can sit and have a pint or two and chat with your friends.

A Cozy Corner


And let's not forget the mirror which gave me a chance for taking one of my "artistic" pictures.

My Artistic Picture


Actually, I consider any picture that has me in a reflection to be artistic.  If you look closely at the first picture of the exterior of Pacific Standard you can see my reflection in the lower righthand corner.  That makes that an artistic picture as well.

They don't serve food here but have no problem with you bringing in your own from one of the nearby take-out places.  A couple of young ladies got a bag of chicken wings to go with their martinis and graciously offered to share them with the Mysterious Chinese Woman and me.

They might not have food, but they do have nice tee-shirts available.

Take Your Pick


All and all, it was a very comfortable and friendly bar.  The bartender, Glenn, was affable and the whole place had a nice vibe to it.  It was relatively early in the afternoon so it wasn't very crowded, but I will try to pop in one evening to check it out.  It is a bit of a hike from where I live, but would make for a nice stroll on a pleasant summer evening.