The bar serves eight drinks-four low ABV and four dry-each laced with several droplets, theatrically squeezed from a plastic pipette by the server. At one point on a recent Friday night, an elderly man pushed his walker back and forth, staring in confusion. Set along a quiet, residential stretch of Ditmars Boulevard, the Astoria bar is like the brick-and-mortar version of Tiesto walking into grandma’s: A red velvet rope guards the entrance, scantily clad friends stand outside taking a cigarette break and a live DJ blasts pop music that spills onto the sidewalk seating. Low lightsĬBD (cannabidiol), the completely legal, non-psychoactive calming property found in marijuana, has been touted throughout NYC as a weed substitute and a wellness fad, found in restaurants that are either (1) seeking relevancy or (2) mixing it with activated charcoal. (Eh, eh.) Even the bartenders get into the groove, channeling Cocktail with Cruise-level bottle spinning and shaker flipping. A DJ tucked next to a few oak barrels keeps the packed house moving with high-octane tunes and many an inspired Rihanna sing-along. And if you’re going gaga over a specific spirit, splurge on a bottle ($200 and up) and have the bartender store it in one of the bar’s lock-and-key liquor cabinets for easy access on your next visit. Swizzle punch ($14), which has bartenders wielding meat tenderizers to crush ice before stirring in smooth vanilla-tinged Riazul Reposado, house tangerine cordial and fresh mint. Get a drink and a side of show with the Church St. Yes, fried guacamole.ĭRINK THIS: Potent mescal mixers include El Tranny ($14), which blends prickly pear and Tapatio 110 mescal with a champagne floater, and the wittily named Haas Muzik ($13), cutting the nutty richness of avocado puree with jalapeño-infused tequila, allspice pineapple nectar and cilantro. (Abajo translates to “downstairs” in Spanish.) The focus is tequila’s smoky sibling mescal, some aged in barrels, some stored in private lockers (we’ll get to those) and all available to sop up with South of the Border snacks like fried guacamole ($7).

Joining the recent wave of underground bars (Shorty’s, Tico’s Tequila Lounge) comes this agave-fueled grotto, operating on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays below Angelo Sosa’s Tribeca taqueria Añejo.

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