Ordinary Beer, Unusual Place

Well, in keeping with the theme of either an unusual drink or a drink in an unusual place I was undecided about what to do. I was hard torn between heading to The London Bar, owned by Gordon Ramsey of Reality TV fame, and having the $550 Bentley Sidecar or heading to Ruby's at Coney Island for a $4 beer. And, yes, you read it correctly, that was five hundred fifty dollars. Now granted, it is made with a mixture of Hennessey Ellipse, a seven-cognac blend with some of them dating back to the 1800s, Grand Marnier 150 and lemon juice. But then I thought, why not just pick up a bottle of that Ellipse for only $5,500 at the Park Avenue Liquor Store and make my own.

I love getting off the subway at Coney Island and being greeted by my old friend.

Old Friend and Bar Man


I didn't have far to go before I was at Ruby's, the lovely beach-side bar.

Ruby's


The lovely beach-side decor and the beautiful people patronizing Ruby's make you question whether or not you are worthy enough to enter.

Am I Worthy?


I decided that I was so I bellied up to the bar to see what was available. Not much.

Limited Options


But, I have to be honest, at a bar like Ruby's what they offered seemed perfect. In fact a Budweiser seemed to be in order. Yeah, I could have had a Sam Adams, but the Budweiser went better with my meal. And in this place I really don't mind the plastic glass. Actually, I think it improves the flavor of the beer.

Bar Man with his Buddie




There are several subtle differences in the above two pictures. See how many you can find and email your answer to me. The winner's name will be mentioned in one of my future blogs.

I chatted with the bartender a bit to find out what Ruby's future status might be. If you recall, last year I was told that this would be their last year. A lot of Coney Island is being bought up by Thor Realty which has big plans for redeveloping the area. Ruby's sits on a parcel of land that has been purchased and does not exactly fit in with what Thor has in mind.

However, New York's blessing and its curse, nothing ever happens quickly. Too many factions seem to have a say in everything and the delays can be interminable. In order for redevelopment to begin the area has to be rezoned and the last I heard city leaders are refusing to even meet with Thor until it drastically alters it plans. The big issue is whether time-shares and hotels should be allowed.

The bartender told me that now Ruby's will be open at least one more year and possibly two. This is good news indeed because Ruby's truly is a classic and its loss will be tragic.

My Information Source


Well, the theme of this post appears to have been a very ordinary beer in a most unusual place.

Until next time, keep your nose wet.