Moonshine

Ummm… that photo of the drunk girls w/​the guitar holding each other up? That kind of just about summed this place up. Awful music and beer selection. Not sure who they were trying to cater to here. There wasn’t too much (OK anyplace) open around here in the immediate vicinity after dinner time/10:00pm then, so they were kind of the only game in town. Can’t say I am crying about this one being gone.

Me: May I inquire about the microwave popcorn?
Bartender: Would you like some?
Me: … okay…
About four minutes later, after I’ve received my pretty-​cheap pint, I am handed a piping hot bag of popcorn.
Me: How much for the Kelso and the ‘corn?
Bartender: $ 5 for the pint and the popcorn’s on the house.
Me: Really?!
Bartender: Really. :)
And then she danced away. Really.
In the concrete, ivy-​laden backyard/​patio, while sitting at a picnic table, I met a Rottweiler named Faust who loves popcorn as much as I do. Well, okay then!

Great dive bar and very classy. Twister, billiards and beer — who wouldn’t have a good time? Great live music and an amazing backdoor garden. Prices were a little below average (like $ 3 – 4 for a beer), which is a great change from the standard $ 5 beer.

They are closing on September 17^th, according to their facebook page.
Another one bites the dust… sad to see this place go. It was the Brooklyn part of the infamous Unilocal Triboro Bus Tour, and I went back another time after that.

Stumbled upon this place when Unilocal had its drink week. I have never been to Red Hook so this was a nice surprise!
Such a laid back and fun atmosphere! I can’t remember the last time I played a game of Twister, but their cute back garden and having it all set up and ready to go for me I couldn’t resist! They also had various other games available but whoever created the dirty Jenga, WOW. The pool table and live music is also a plus.
The beer is great, love trying new local flavors that I haven’t even heard of before and the popcorn has a nice spice to it, which was also a very nice surprise.
If I am ever in the area again, I will definitely be stopping by! Just wish it was more convenient to get to, but I’m sure the locals like it the way it is.

I love dive bars, and though I wouldn’t call this place a «dive» specifically (because it doesn’t have nearly enough unidentified liquids on the floor grabbing at your shoes), it’s got that general «comfortable, neighborhood» feel to it that I love.
This feels like the place you stop in on your way home from work, or at the end of the night, to grab a pint with friends and a bartender who all remember your name, your order and will not bust your balls that you enjoy shitty American light beer. But they reserve the right to change their minds, especially if you start talking about how good the beer is.
There’s a pool table in the back, and a cozy little backyard patio with a slightly raised terrace that isn’t a porch, but is kind of nice. You’ll also find a ton of board games to play in case you’re looking to kill some time.
You want a decent cheap beer list? They have it. Want to nosh on some microwave popcorn? You betcha. Want to drink cheap whiskey on the rocks to make it palatable? Yeah, we can take care of that.
It’s just a shame it’s not near a hot damn thing.

I want to be best friends with this bar. Because if Moonshine and I were best friends, we would do everything together.
We’d drink delicious, cheap beer, and throw in the occasional shot of whiskey. We’d play pool on one of two tables (!), or hang out in the backyard together and play boardgames. I’d probably win most of the time, because Moonshine sucks at boardgames. Oh, Moonshine.
Moonshine’s kind of lazy, and he never really wants to cook anything. Yeah, I guess he’ll throw popcorn out if I want it, but if I want some real food, I have to cook it myself on the grill out back. Moonshine’s all, «I’m not going to do it, but you can cook whatever you want. Just don’t make a mess.»
We’d pet the dogs that are always just wandering in and out. I’m not even sure if they’re Moonshine’s, but he clearly doesn’t mind if they come over. Honestly, who wouldn’t want them around anyway… they are so damn cute. The huge, fluffy Pirate and the tiny little one that wanders around… I think his name is Pepe. In the bathroom, we’d laugh at the graffiti and melt the ice in the urinal for fun. Wait, that sounds weird. Not together. Me and Moonshine don’t get down like that.
I guess I just wish he lived closer. One of us is going to have to get a car.
Not it.

Next
Door to
Jalopy.
Board games, outdoor
Grill and good selection of well priced beer.

Someone should have told the locals that a hoard of thirsty Unilocalers were coming!
The adorable bar on the quiet block in Brooklyn was taken over by fabulous group of Unilocalers. The barmaid was workin the bar like nobodies business; cranking out pint after pint of cold beer.
Theres awesome pool tables that some Unilocalers took advantage of and an awesome back yard with some fabulous cracktastic games of twister.
We were provided with some addicting microwave popcorn and rigteous cupcakes.
My Kelso was friggin delicious!
and the lady rocking out on that sexy guitar!!! awesome!

The laid back atmosphere makes Moonshine a good place to visit.
You can tell when walking in that there are a ton if regulars that call this place home. Tons of pictures on the wall, scribblings on the wall and some friendly bartenders ready to serve you.
Board games are stacked over an old-​school «pull the lever for a pack of cigarettes» machine.
Theres a small outdoor area, a dart area and a couple of pool tables. The TV’s made me laugh because they had to be from the early 90’s! Small and fuzzy they were… oh yeah and they put out popcorn!
Everything about this place is a positive but you will have to go searching for it because it’s in that no man’s land area, by the entrance of the Battery tunnel between Red Hook, Carroll Gardens and the Columbia Street Waterfront.
Regardless, i say go lok for it and give it a try because you will have a good time.

The second stop on the rolling bus of debauchery known as the Unilocal Tri-​Boro Bus tour. Now this is my kind of place! Beat up wooden bar up front, pool tables in the back room, outside patio with picnic tables. A beer and shot kind of place — and that is what we had here. A lot of it.
Love these cheap divey bar kind of haunts. Friendly and welcoming. Just be yourself, no problem. I can see wasting away a Sunday afternoon in this place.
I do remember some amazing cupcakes being served, and the hot game of Twister the girls challenged each other to. There was a singer there too. She was singing about how much she loved her poodle. How much she really looooooved her poodle. It was chill, indeed.

There is something pleasantly familiar about Moonshine. Not really sure what.
Maybe it’s the musty, buttery smell (the popcorn helps with that).
Or maybe its the old-​timey cigarette vending machine that greets patrons as they enter, lending a refreshingly devil-​may-​care feel to the place.
Or, most likely, it’s a combination of all these things, plus the board games, and darts, and pool tables, and comfortable back yard, and live music, and good (reasonably priced!) beers. It’s an ideal, low-​key dive bar, with a nice staff, and a vibe that I can only describe as quintessentially Red Hook. They’re dog friendly too.
I’ll definitely be coming through for BBQs this summer. Thanks, Unilocal,for introducing me to such a gem!!!

Great service. The bartender was fabulous. Really sweet, efficient, and when they were out of one of the beers on tap offered to reduce the price of the substitute beer.
Board games are always awesome, but luckily, in brooklyn, non-​unique.
All in all, there isn’t really anything particular exciting about this bar to justify the trip all the way out there.

They have a golden bulldog and a sweet backyard!
Buckets of beer specials.
Several picnic tables and space for outdoor Twister.
Grills where you can bring your own meat and have a barbecue.
Two pool tables, darts, juke box, good beer prices, board games galore.
On some nights they have a live band or singer.
A Crown Royal sack filled with Jenga blocks with explicit messages and questions written on it.
My favorite one of the night, Question: «Which golden girl is Gods favorite?» [1] & [2]
How can you come here and NOT have a good time?
[1] Im seriously questioning if Peter D. wrote this Jenga block question?
[2] Answer: Blanche, of course.

Second stop on the Unilocal TriBoro Bus Tour!
Imagine 50 Unilocalers descending upon this small bar in what seemed the middle of nowhere. Then imagine games of Twister in the outdoor patio in the back! I love bars with games, always adds an extra fun factor.
The fact that the owners and other people there just let us be with no dirty looks, I give major props to this place!

I’m a bit baffled by all of the 5 star reviews. The beer selection is above par, but I wouldn’t classify it as expansive. It’s cheap, but I think that is more due to it’s off-​the-​beaten-​path location and divey character than indicative of a good deal.
The nice part is that it has a pool table, and free board games. I’ve only gone in the winter, but the idea of free grills is a pretty cool one. However, Brooklyn Ice House is a 10 minute walk away, and boasts a better, cheaper, selection, and superb bar foods with equal amenities and cooler bar tenders.
This is a pretty good bar, but for Redhook, where similar cheap and seedy bars abound, it’s not the gold standard.

I came here to kill time while I waited for my table at Lucali. Great little bar in the middle of no where. And I got a chance to walk over the overpass over the Gowanus expressway. It kinda made me feel like I was in GTA 2.
This place has MANY board games. And I love board games. So naturally, any bar with board games is automatically a winner in my mind.
Jenga, monopoly, boggle, scrabble, just to name a few.
They have a very extensive beer selection on tap as well.
Unfortunately, I only stayed for one beer as our table was ready but I would love to come back here and spend an entire night. There are enough board games to last you many drunken nights.
There are also 2 small pool tables in the back and apparently also a grill in the back where you can bring and grill your own meat! Seriously, there’s so much stuff to do here, I haven’t felt this way since I went to chuck-​e-​cheese in 4^th grade.
Only problem is, it’s completely out of the way so a cab or a long walk is most likely gonna be in order.

Everything you would want in a regular dive bar — cool bartender, good music playing, pool table, laid back patrons open space and a hugh backyard. I’ll come back just to see what the backyard is like in weather warmer.
Overall, happy with my experience here and would return again.

3.5 stars…
This is as divey as a dive bar can get. They have microwave popcorn here for sale (were they’ll pop it for you) and don’t mind if you get something delivered here. Beer prices range from normal ($ 5) to ultra cheap (a bucket full of PBRs for $ 6). They have board games, pool ($ 1), and they used to have 2 dart boards but they took them down to squeeze in a second pool table.
One of the best things about this place is their back yard. Their large patio area in back has propane grills were you bring your own meat and make your own cookout, the best idea ever for Brooklynites who don’t have yards of their own. I went on a Saturday night and they were covered up and when I inquired about them they just said I could just take the covers off and use them whenever the place is open.
There’s a few reasons I gave them 3.5. One is that the place can get pretty packed sometimes, often with a much older and sometimes obnoxious crowd. Secondly, darts is my thing and I would occasionally come here just for the darts and I think it was a pretty stupid idea to take them down and cram a second pool table into the space. Lastly is that the backyard doesn’t have any cool lights in it and at night it’s not very inviting and some parts are just plain dark.

Cool local dive bar, it feels like home with around 15 seats at the bar, 2 tables for groups, 2 sofas, 1 pool table, 2 dart boards and a semi big out door spot where you can bring in your own food and grill for a small fee.
Drinks are cheap and they have beer bucket specials, too bad the beer that comes in a bucket is not in a bottle but hey with these prices does it really matter.
The crowd is very laid back and its easy to make friends here.
Next time I will bring some food to grill in the back.