Though I have lived in Brooklyn for nearly two years now, this was my first time experiencing Atlantic Antic. (Oddly enough, I lived on Atlantic Avenue last year, but was out of town for the festivities.) Leading up to the festivities, I asked over twitter (@DrinkingBKLYN) “what should I expect?”

The perfect response came via @bekushner: “it’s kind of like mardi gras in new orleans, but replace boobies with babies.”

And this was Atlantic Antic in a nutshell. The stretch of Atlantic Avenue from 4th Avenue to the BQE was filled with lots of Sixpoint craft ales … and strollers.

Only in Brooklyn.

I walked into Strong Place around 9:30 pm. “I didn’t know you guys were here. When did you open?” I asked one of the owners.

He looked at his watch. “Oh, about four or five hours ago.”

Bars seem to spring up out of nowhere in Brooklyn, but Strong Place (which officially opened for business Monday, July 26 — “four or five hours” before 9:30, of course) literally sprung up out of nowhere on this fairly quiet strip of Cobble Hill. While construction continues just a few doors down on whatever is going to open in the spot formerly occupied by Tea Lounge, Strong Place just sort of showed up at 270 Court Street, next to Osaka and Sweet Melissa, and directly across from the Cobble Hill Cinemas. There is no official sign yet above the door, just pieces of paper with the bar/restaurant’s name hanging from the windows.

The decor is pleasant and fits the neighborhood’s vibe (exposed brick, hardwood floors, dim lighting). But small, eclectic touches — like tiny placards hanging from clothesline pins in place of large, gaudy beer taps identifying the brews on tap — add a little je ne sais quoi.

And what’s on tap is quite impressive: 24 different beers to choose from, including Captain Lawrence Freshchester, Dog Fish Head Palo Santo Marron, Allagash Curieux, Six Point Gorilla Warfare, Speakeasy Prohibition Ale and Ommegang Rare Vos. (Bar Great Harry, watch out, you have some competition …) Strong Place also has a solid wine menu.

The food menu tilts heavily toward fish and meat. Fish entrees include seared diver scallops, sauteed skate wing and “Ipswich style” fried oysters. Among the meat entrees are steak tartare, porter braised beef brisket and a grilled lamb burger. Prices seem to be very reasonable, but (just speculating here, since Strong Place is reportedly run by the people behind the Italian “small plates” dynamo Bocca Lupo) that could have something to do with small portions.

I did not have time for food or drink on this night, but I will be back for both soon. Welcome to the nabe, Strong Place!

What happens when you combine a Siren Festival performance by Brooklyn’s own Matt & Kim with Smith Street’s legendary Bastille Day celebration? A video recap of the perfect Brooklyn weekend.

The soundtrack to our video is Matt & Kim’s infectious hit “Daylight.” While this video cannot compare to the song’s official video (one of my all-time favorite music videos), watching people play petanque while Matt & Kim rock out is pretty cool nonetheless.

But don’t take my word for it. Check it out!

Our tour guide, Rob, is a pretty big sports fan (hence the Mets cap he’s wearing in the video). Not necessarily a soccer fan, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers …

Anyway, unless you’ve been living Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, you probably know the World Cup is upon us. (And I have a feeling DUMBO residents are aware of this, too … just trying to avoid the “living under a rock” cliche. But I digress.) The World Cup is a great excuse to drink. But where to imbibe?

Simple. Head to the corner of Smith Street and Atlantic Avenue and flip a coin which way you want to go.

A trek down Smith Street will reveal tons of World Cup-viewing options. Our good friends at Eating Everywhere suggest Bar Tabac (perfect for French soccer fans). If you head toward the waterfront on Atlantic Avenue, there’s always the Brazen Head, as well as Floyd, NY and our choice for rowdiest place to watch the action, the ChipShop’s Atlantic Avenue outpost.

To learn more, watch our video above.

Update #2: We took our own advice and did a little bar-hopping on Smith Street and Atlantic Avenue during the USA-England World Cup match on Saturday, June 12. Check out our photo essay below.

Update: It has been brought to our attention that our video host, Rob, may have misspoken. In the video, Rob referenced Man U and Chelsea with regards to soccer fans at Floyd, NY and the ChipShop. We have been told Floyd, NY is a “Tottenham Bar.” We apologize for any confusion, as Rob was speaking in generalities to reference the boisterous soccer fans who congregate in these places and he tells us that those were the first two teams to pop into his head to use as examples.

It took a little arm-twisting to get Kyle, the easygoing barkeep at The Gibson in Williamsburg, to talk on camera. But we’re glad he did.

Kyle gives us the lowdown on this relaxed bar … and spills the beans on his customers’ drink of choice. (Hint: Despite being in Williamsburg, it’s not PBR.)

Holding open casting calls on twitter can be a dangerous proposition. I mean, it is the Internet, people. Some strange folk lurk in cyberspace.

And yet, with all that said, we’re now two-for-two in finding cool peeps to host our Tweeting Brooklyn videos.

As you may recall, our first guinea pig was Amanda. She went lowbrow with the quaint Billyburg dive bar Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern.

Our latest contest winner, Roopa, decided to go in a different direction.

We met Roopa and her husband, Matt, at the trendy Carroll Gardens spot, Buttermilk Channel. Buttermilk Channel has a fantastic (and well-deserved) reputation as one of Brooklyn’s best restaurants, but they also have a nice assortment of signature cocktails and beers on tap.

I ordered what may be my favorite cocktail in all of Brooklyn, the Fair Harbor (which is essentially a Dark & Stormy with a splash of pomegranate juice), while Roopa and Matt ordered … well, honestly, I don’t remember. You see, what I should have been doing is taking notes and all that other crap reporters do. But instead, I was engrossed in conversation with these interesting characters.

What I learned about Roopa (and Matt):

- She’s a vegetarian
- He likes meat (especially the wings at Buffalo Wild Wings; don’t laugh if you’ve never eaten them, they’re really good for a chain)
- She was born in Queens, grew up on Long Island and has lived in Brooklyn most of her adult life
- He grew up in South Florida and has lived in Baltimore most of his adult life
- She’s a Mets fan (yay!)
- He’s a Yankees fan (boo!)
- She has never owned a car
- I’m assuming he has
- They’re newlyweds
- Sixpoint provided them with their own special beer for the wedding
- They don’t like to go into Manhattan on the weekends

And, really, with a relaxed and refined bar like Buttermilk Channel right around the corner, why would they leave Brooklyn on the weekends?

But enough from me. To hear Roopa tell you why she loves Buttermilk Channel, click on the video above. And if you want to learn more about her vegetarian ways, check out her blog, raspberry eggplant.

Okay, so a record store that serves coffee isn’t exactly a bar. But Black Gold Records is in Brooklyn and you drink coffee, so technically this entry fits the Drinking Brooklyn theme …

The truth is, the journalist inside me just wanted to break some news.

Black Gold Records has a website, but it doesn’t give a whole lot of information outside of what can be found on this flier posted in the store’s window (and acting as a portal to their Facebook, MySpace and Twitter pages):

What I’ve learned: Black Gold Records will be buying and selling records, as well as serving coffee and baked goods from Brooklyn’s SCRATCHbread. I’m guessing they’ll do well, especially considering their “prime” location, sandwiched between Prime Meats and Frankie’s 457. (This should be a huge hit with those mustachioed waiters!)

As the flier states, they’re having a grand opening Saturday, May 29 (free coffee! Woohoo!). Support a local business and check it out.

My only beef? That name, Black Gold Records, has got this song stuck in my head:

miniBAR
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens
Address: 482 Court Street, 11231
Nearest Subway: Smith Street (F, G), Carroll Street (F, G)
Phone: (718) 569-2321
Website: minibarbrooklyn.com
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5PM-2AM; Friday-Saturday, 5PM-4AM
Payment: Cash
Food: No

What others are saying:

“The warmly lit, brick-lined room … can be downright seductive.” (Gothamist)

“There’s a persistently cheery, intimate vibe … “ (New York Magazine)

The head bartender at The JakeWalk serves up one of his favorite drinks.

For Esme is a refreshing, warm weather cocktail that consists of Dry Vermouth, Creme de Peche, Lime Juice, Demerara Syrup, Allspice Dram and Sparkling Rose. To see how it’s made, check out the video above.

Char No. 4 is primarily known for the gazillion bottles of whiskey that line the wall behind its bar. But don’t let that fool you. As it turns out, they also know how to make a mean cocktail.

Of course, it’s no surprise that a cocktail like the one our affable bartender on this day, Jeff, pours us has bourbon in it. But not just any bourbon. Honey-infused bourbon is at the heart of the Hound Dog, as well as fresh-squeezed grapefruit, ginger and lime juices. Add mint leaves for good measure and you get a wonderful warm weather cocktail.

To see the art behind making the Hound Dog, check out the video above.