Kings County whiskey
If you drink in Brooklyn, you may have heard: We’re about to get us some distilleries. This Sunday, Aug. 1, marks the grand opening of two of Brooklyn’s new crop of hard-liquor houses: Kings County Distillery in East Williamsburg and Breuckelen Distilling Co. in Sunset Park. And to show you what they’ve got, the new factories are offering free (and almost free) opening-day tastes of their Brooklyn spirits. Kings County Distillery (35 Meadow St.) is giving free quarter-ounce tastes of whiskey from noon to 4 p.m.; and Breuckelen (77 19th St.) is offering three quarter-ounce tastes for $3 from noon to 6 p.m., along with distillery tours. Our thanks to the skint for the tastings tip.
Photo by Jo Ann Santangelo
From clothing to skill-sets, our broke minds have always seen swapping as a way to get something we really need for… our less-than-marketable possessions. If homemade food’s involved, though, a swap can include some pretty sweet stuff all around. Brooklyn urban farmer Meg Paska and baking/canning enthusiast Kate Payne started trading their homemade edibles, and so was born BK Swappers and its bi-monthly gatherings of cooks, bakers and jam-canners, all stoked to snack-up and stock the pantries. And the next swap’s this Sunday, Aug. 1. 
FRIDAY
Junior’s Cheesecake celebrates 60 years with 60-cent slices of heaven (reg $5.99)
7:30pm: The Swell Season (you remember them from Once) bring their folk-rock stylings to Prospect Park’s Bandshell, $3 sugg donation.
8pm (thru sun): BAM and Rooftop Films present the “Animation Block Party,” showcasing foreign and domestic independent, professional, student animation and shorts. Bonus: after party at Bar Matchless with free beer + rum! 50 Beford Ave. $9-11.
Love watching Don Draper struggle with his gorgeous wife, prestigious clients, and of course… himself? Then you must be rich, or at least reasonably unaccustomed to the idea of finding your dinners like this. According to a recent Hollywood Reporter write-up, almost half of Mad Men’s 1.9 million viewers make at least $100,000 a year. Basically if you watch the show, you can’t possibly be reading this post (or… maybe you can). But really, what about Brokesters like us? Do people outside the show’s supposed lofty tax-bracket simply not watch? No, we can personally attest: We’re watching Don and Bets with the rest of them. We’re just watching differently.
Photo courtesy of Outside Jane
The subway’s a great way to travel—for a day at the Rockaways, an occasional night out, that elusive paying job in the city—so many things. But, let’s face it: The $2.25 adds up. Quick. And now, new rules are looking to make it almost impossible to borrow your neighbor’s unlimited card and ride for free. So, Brokelyn’s gotta ask: What’s the furthest you’ll go to avoid a subway fare? As we massage our bike-weary legs, let’s toast to war stories like hauling gigantic mirrors in heels, balancing six blinds on your handlebars over pot-holes or walking miles because you just couldn’t justify the expenditure. How far will you go to save a swipe? Dollar van? Hitchhike? Hang glider?
Not a member of the SOB. Photo by Mike Barwood.
You’ve got to hand it to a cultural institutional that embraces an acronym like that. We mean the String Orchestra of Brooklyn, of course. The Brooklyn Heights-based orchestra is playing a free concert this Saturday evening, Jul. 31, in Fort Greene Park. It’s the group’s first ever free outdoor concert (a departure from their usual $10 affairs), and they’re celebrating with two crowd-pleasing biggies: Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8.
Lean mean zine machine
Zines, it zeems, are having a comeback these days. Maybe because all the flannel and lo-fi guitars around town make us wistful for the 90s. Maybe Brooklyn is home to too many underemployed writers with lots of time on their hands (ahem). But probably it’s because we all love DIY so much, from wine-making to condom popsicles, that we never let a crappy job market keep us from putting work out there anyway. So what’s all the fuss about? Find out for yourself at Pete’s Candy Store on Saturday at the free Mini Zine Fest, a showcase of more than 20 zinesters, including graphic artists, photogs and bookmakers. We could spend this whole post telling you why you should care about these low-rent Henry Luces, but we’d rather show you:
Sixpoint Craft Ales: They'll be there. Will you?
Missed out on getting tickets to Edible magazine’s Good Beer fest? Or maybe it was the $40 price tag. Yipit.com is selling half-price tickets to the sold-out, intimate uber-tasting at BAMcafé tomorrow evening, Jul. 28. The event, hosted by Edible Brooklyn (& Manhattan) and the Good Beer Seal, will include 12 to 15 varieties of beer, many of which you’ve never tasted before, from breweries around New York. And there’ll be food—plenty of it—from Fette Sau, Luke’s Lobster, Sammy’s Roumanian Steak House, Sigmund’s Pretzels and quite a few others. Yes, still $20, but you do the value math for this one.
This is the latest in our series on the venues featured in the Brokelyn Beer Book. Strong Place, Cobble Hill’s late-bloomer of the Beer Book bunch, is open for business (as of July 26). Two dozen tap beers and one savory menu await.
STRONG PLACE
270 Court St. at Kane St., Cobble Hill
What it is: A gastro-pub featuring 24 tap beers, new American fare and a raw bar.
Why we love it: From the chef and owner of Bocca Lupo. If it’s any bit as tasty, atmospheric, and dependable, we’ll soon be hooked. Also, expect an amazing back yard (which should open in September).
Who to bring: Your future in-laws, foodie dates.
What to order: Crispy Duck Leg Confit, Grilled Lamb Burger with Feta, Fried Ipswich Clams Oysters.
Strong Place fun fact: For many years, the space was a bookstore called Shakespeare’s Sister.
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