2011 may have spent its final days in a mediocre gray blur of rain and oddly mild temperatures, but our neighbor Ben Roshia has been busy. For months following the move of the unique cafe Boneshakers, he – alongside friend, general manager, and popcorn wizard Stas Chizhik – has been working to turn the onetime coffee shop space into a bar slash beer store unique enough to not only carve out a neighborhood niche but attract citywide attention. The One Stop Beer Shop, slated to open next Wednesday, December 28th, will feature comfortable and intimate seating in a very consciously designed interior, delicious and unique beer cocktails, a closely tailored food menu including a homemade spiced popcorn (which, when I visited, drew even more excitement from the staff than the drinks) and growlers filled by exclusive equipment that we’re told ensures your beer stays fresher longer than a jug filled from a tap.
Ben was happy to share the following recipe for one of the bar’s signature $9 cocktails, called a Dark & Smoky. Shake together 1.5 ounces Moonshine (unaged corn whiskey) with 0.5 ounces of agave nectar that has been muddled with rosemary. Pour this over rocks, float a Stone Smoked Porter on top, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. The result is a layered cocktail that Ben believes will appeal to customers who come with a taste for straightforward whiskey drinks but want to try something new.
My general impression is that Ben is a man with a vision for a comfortable, interesting bar. He has a realistic concept of what brings people to a neighborhood establishment and the way that such a business can add to a community, and I’m looking forward to checking out the opening next Wednesday and watching as his vision opens its doors and welcomes us in.
Find them at:
134 Kingsland Avenue
http://www.1-sbs.com/