Every neighborhood has one of those cursed spaces that play host to one failed business after another. One such space is on North 7th and Berry streets in Williamsburg.
Located a mere block from the L train, you’d think it would be easy to attract business, but the curse has proven otherwise.
Fortunately, its latest incarnation, as dba, shows more promise for survival than the previous nondescript bars that inhabited it. I’ll say it up front:This is a drinker’s bar.With an ever-expanding array of beers from locales including Belgium, Germany, France, Mexico and right here in Brooklyn, it’s like a drinkable world tour. In case you can’t decide which of the three Christmas ales you’d like, the bartenders will pour you a taste of each and talk you through the selections. In addition to an intimidating number of beers, dba also has a long list of single malt whiskeys, bourbons, scotches and tequilas organized by region, and fun seasonal drinks like the house special egg cream, Irish coffee and hot cider, the last of which comes with a delicious rum-soaked apple slice floating in it. For those needing a more substantial snack, the bar will soon have plates of artisanal cheeses and meats as well as muffaletta sandwiches, a mainstay in New Orleans, where the bar has another branch (the third dba is in the East Village).
Prices are reasonable, with suds starting at $5 and going up to and over $10 for fancy, imported beers in giant bottles. Notably absent are the PBRs, Coors Lights and Schlitzes that sell for as low as $2 at sketchier bars nearby, for they are an affront to true beer lovers everywhere.
Keeping the focus squarely on the drinks, the surroundings are simple. A handsome dark wood bar and abundant matching tables provide all the backdrop you need to guzzle to your heart’s content, and in warm weather you can do so on the back patio.The music is a throwback to mid-90s alternative, and while it was nice to hear Cake, Garbage and the Cardigans again, the selections occasionally wandered into Creed territory, which made me think the play list could use an update.Weeknight clientele skewed much less colorful than that of other bars in the area.Though there were no popped collars, young professionals of the type I’d expect to see in the Village outnumbered those with a more “Brooklyn” (read: dirtier) vibe. Dba has bet on a simple formula: quality booze and a comfortable place to drink it. In doing so, it has already dodged the identity crises suffered by its predecessors. Better music and a more varied food menu would bump it up a notch, but my giant, steaming mug of hot cider and Captain Morgan was enough to ensure I’ll be back whenever my tired bones need warming.
--
DBA
113 N. 7th St. (betw. Berry St. & Wythe Ave.), Brooklyn, 718-218-6006
