We recently visited The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, a historical-revivalist taproom and parlour on Water Street in Lower Manhattan.  While TDR is just a short walk from Battery Park and other tourist attractions, it is a destination worth traveling to in its own right.

The whole joint is thoroughly infused with the Gangs of New York – era, 1850’s Irish gangland NYC theme.  The ground-level taproom is an honest recreation of a period Irish pub, complete with sawdust on the floor.  The bar servers a good selection of craft beer, with a focus on local selections (Sixpoint, Bronx, Ommegang) and Belgian styles (Ayinger, DuPont, Ommegang).  Most notable is their house ale,

brewed by Sixpoint, a cask-conditioned Mild with tons of brown malt (which fits the period theme nicely). Tasty.

The taproom has several additional historic beverage offerings.  They make and sell punch, “an ancient form of mixed drink, incorporating spirit, spice, citrus, sugar, and water,” by the bottle, flagon, or glass.    They have recreated a 17th-century drink called the pop-in, “in which a lightly-hopped ale, Leipziger Gose, is spiked with a flavor of your choice.”  And they have an excellent selection of American whiskey and spirits. many of them made with pre-prohibition recipes (gin without juniper, for example).

The upstair parlor is designed for parties, with a scaled-down menu, communal punch bowl, and additional era-accurate cocktails.   To complete the experience, the corner “grocery” sells “spreads and tapenades, oils and vinegars, olives and pickles, fruit preserves, tinned seafood, dried fruits and nuts, and hard-to-find Irish and British imports.”

We’re admittedly late to the party on this great bar- it is the Village Voice’s Best New Bar 2013, and was listed among Zagat’s Hottest New Bars 2013, among many other acclaims.  The bartender Jack McGarry was named International Bartender of the Year at the 2013 Tales of the Cocktail  Spirited Awards.  But it’s not just hype- this place really is worth the trip downtown.  (BTW, kudos to Olivia for picking this perfect lunch spot.)

You’ll get bonus points for checking this one out: A+ for the experience, and an extra “+” for supporting the lower Manhattan bar/restaurant scene, which is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.