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It's finally time to start drinking outside, New York, and thankfully the good folks out in Red Hook are pouring out a very good reason to visit the effortlessly cool waterfront neighborhood for an al fresco bevy (or three): On Saturday, May 9, the Red Hook Barrel Yard will launch, a new 40,000-square-foot waterfront space encompassing Red Hook Winery, Red Hook Cidery and a soon-to-be operational Red Hook Distillery under one mother concept.
Under the watchful eye of the Statue of Liberty—with ridiculously scenic views of that stunning NYC skyline, which you'll be able to take in from multiple outdoor patios—the newfangled Barrel Yard will bring locally made wine, cider and spirits under one roof.
The cidery section will offer curated flights of New York cider, including pours of still, dry, semi-dry and pet-nat sparkling cider. Over at the winery, you can explore vino selections hailing from Long Island’s North Fork region, which you can enjoy by glass, by flight or alongside some tasty charcuterie. (There are also winery tours and tastings experiences available if you really want to get your oenophilic freak on.)
As for the upcoming distillery, which is set to debut later this year, the operation will produce a large line of small-batch spirits, from gin to whiskey and every boozy bottle in between.
All of that alcohol requires food to pad your belly (and stave off your hangover), and the Barrel Yard will take care of those drunchies courtesy the nearby revival of Lundy's restaurant, which is also owned by The Red Hook Barrel Yard founder Mark Synder. Here, Lundy's head chef Steve Mannino has developed a special "Lundy's on the Waterfront" menu of crab cakes, creamy bisques, crisp raw-bar items—basically, the exact kind of food you want to be snacking on while guzzling a golden-hour glass of rosé on a North Brooklyn patio.
“We’ve been quietly working away down here in Red Hook to produce some specular wines and ciders from New York. We’re now expanding the space to bring more people in on the secret and allow them a chance to discover the quality of what New York can produce from a food & drink perspective," Snyder said of the expanding project. "Lundy’s has long held a special place in my heart, so to partner with them and bring them back to the waterfront, continuing this tradition of good, honest food in a waterfront setting is really something to celebrate. There’s so much to discover and explore here and more to come as the summer progresses.”
The Red Hook Barrel Yard will be open from May 9 at 185 Van Dyke Street, with hours of operation currently set at noon to 10pm on Mondays through Fridays. Find more information at the venue's website here.