Out of the Mouth of Bartenders: Summer 2026

With endless TikToks promising “a cute little day in Red Hook” and a picturesque ferry ride straight to our doorstep, Red Hook officially seems to be on the map as a weekend destination for Manhattanites. One Red Hooker reportedly even overheard a man in Murray Hill say something akin to, “With this weather, it’s gotta be a Red Hook weekend.”

While it can be frustrating for locals just trying to grab a drink in their neighborhood, it’s good news for the bars and businesses of Red Hook.

So, we checked in with a few of the local bartenders to hear how they survived a memorable summer that was jam-packed with a Knicks victory, the World Cup, multiple power outages, large crowds, heatwaves, and more.

A Busier Summer?
“It was crazy! A lot of people from the ferry and you could realize that they came from the ferry because they came in big groups.” — Jovana Chavira, bartender at Brooklyn Crab

“You see how long the lines are, right? So I get a lot of business around 5 o’clock when they can’t get in … The new Tavern Next Door didn’t take away from our business. It’s the same.” — David Gonzalez, bartender at Docky’s

“Summer was fun. It was crazy. It’s definitely become a hot spot on the weekends. Which I really enjoy. I also really enjoy the fact that everyone goes home at 10, and the neighborhood comes alive after all the transit people go back to wherever they’re from.” – Victor Everitt, bartender at Brooklyn Ice House

The Power Outages
“On the evening of July 3, when a seemingly distant storm cell developed into a dangerous Summer Squall, we were midway through a full house Friday night and the accompanying World Cup match of the evening. A torrent of rain drove people from the street under the cafe awnings for some shelter. Blocks away the dangerous winds ripped out trees and sent electrical transformers into the netherworlds. When it was done a short while later, our customers were still sitting under the cold blue emergency exit lights and the quickly fading remnants of air conditioning … Luckily our handheld devices have an offline mode so we could keep going. People watched the end of the game on their phones together … We lit some candles, found a bluetooth speaker, and continued to celebrate in the calm, cool night for no other reason than the absurdity of such an event and the comradery of experiencing it together.” — Jason Grunwald, owner of San Pedro Inn

“When a nearby transformer blew, we lost power in the middle of a World Cup game. Our friend and dear neighbor, Par, who runs Red Hook Story House, brought over a battery-powered projector so we could finish watching the game that was attached to a hot spot on his phone. And then, after that, he brought over a battery-powered record player. And, we filled the bar on this rare occasion with candles and record music. I don’t remember the records…Par would remember.” – Elijah Miller, managing partner at The Good Fork Pub

“I’m pretty sure these are the records that got us through that night: Le Mejor de matamoros, Cadence Revolution, Saturno 2000, Mickey Baker, The Ventures, and Grace Jones (Nightclubbing).” – Par Parekh, founder of Red Hook Story House

“I wasn’t working. I actually live down the street, so I came down to see if they needed help … and they had to get everybody out because we didn’t have power. But the band kept playing and finished their first set by candlelight … it was really lovely.” – Kate Mattison, retired bartender at Sunny’s, who came out of retirement for the summer

“The funny thing is, the only reason I was open during the power outages is because, for whatever reason, I was on the grid where I did have power. So that’s why I call us ‘the little bar that could.’ Everybody came to Seaborne because we still had air conditioning.” – Lucinda Sterling, owner of Seaborne

Sports, Sports, and More Sports
“At Keg & Lantern, we’re known as the sports bar of the neighborhood. But with everyone else putting up TVs, it let people bar hop to watch the Knicks. So I felt like one hand fed the other. It was great!” — Jaime Koons, bartender at Keg & Lantern

“We don’t have TVs [at Sunny’s], so during the Knicks it was awesome because there would be little pockets of people watching on one person’s phone, but the bar itself was dead … just the regulars. But there would be somebody watching and then we would all get in on it.” — Kate Mattison, retired bartender at Sunny’s, who came out of retirement for the summer

“The World Cup games I showed because I didn’t want to go to another bar. I wanted to stay in my bar.” — Lucinda Sterling, owner of Seaborne

Drink Trends of the Summer
“I think last year we sold three or four Hugo Spritzes … It’s like an Aperol Spritz but with elderflower liqueur instead of Aperol. And this summer, we probably sold 500 of them. I think it was probably due to a TikTok trend that I’m entirely unaware of.”— Elijah Miller, managing partner at The Good Fork Pub

“We got this huge, mega spritz and it became viral on TikTok. It came in a huge wine glass and we can do Aperol or Hugo spritz.” —Jovana Chavira, bartender at Brooklyn Crab

“… Olives in a Campari Spritz permeated the collective consciousness. I’ve done it here or there in the past upon request … But it got to the point where I started asking when people were ordering Campari Spritz if they wanted an orange or an olive.” — Mike Kozlow, head bartender at Third Times the Charm

“For a David Bowie party, we created a ‘gin and milk’ cocktail that was a Bowie favorite. But he used almond milk because he was lactose intolerant. So, we make it with almond milk, nutmeg, and lavender. You don’t taste gin at all. It’s wonderful and we’re still serving it.” — David Gonzalez, bartender at Docky’s

“People love hazy IPAs. I think we’re at the tail end of that kind of hype. But that’s just kind of become the default … walk into a bar, don’t look at the menu, just order based on the beer style.”—Truman Greene, bartender at Strong Rope Brewery

“As always we are margarita driven, in all of its many formats. This year our ‘Classic Mezcal Margarita’ seemed to take the front stage along with our espresso martini … But probably what we served most of all in Red Hook this summer is the timeless Champagne of Beer, High Life.” — Jason Grunwald, owner of San Pedro Inn

“When we were prepping the summer menu, we did a lot of research into trends of NA drinks. And we did a dirty lemonade made with some olive brine and a little olive garnish. It was a really popular drink.” — Matt Hansen, bartender at Widow Jane

“The espresso martini made a comeback like a year ago … Once you make one and somebody sees it going out, then they’re like, ‘wait, me too!’ So you’d have days where you’d start making one, and then all of a sudden that’s all you’re making for the rest of the shift.” — Jaime Koons, bartender at Keg & Lantern

Winter is Coming
“Oh, we’re always prepared [for the Red Hook winter] here because we get the worst of it, being right on the water. So just as the AC gets blasted in the summer, the heat gets blasted in here. And honestly, it is the best place to be in the winter. It is so cozy here.” —Kate Mattison, retired bartender at Sunny’s, who came out of retirement for the summer

“It’s the deal you make when you fall in love with or work in Red Hook. Winter can be cruel. For me personally, it’s mostly a mental shift back to a slower pace of living and barkeeping. In some ways I prefer it … finally and perhaps most importantly, our famous chicken soup goes back on the menu.” — Jason Grunwald, owner of San Pedro Inn

“Yeah, it is slower. I think every bar in Red Hook would probably say the same thing. So on Thursdays, we have our happy hour pricing. $8 mixed drinks and $10 Old Fashioneds and Boulevardiers. I mean, in this economy, please.” —Matt Hansen, bartender at Widow Jane

“I’ve been offering people my personal phone number to text me when they want to come [to Seaborne]. So this winter, if you plan to be in Red Hook or if you live in Red Hook, instead of walking all the way to North Hook … just text me. 720-771-5104.” —Lucinda Sterling, owner of Seaborne