the gibson

The Gibson
108 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-387-6296
http://thegibsonnyc.com/

The Passport blurb: A neighborhood bar where locals, travelers, the young and old intermingle in an unpretentious, chilled-out atmosphere. An ever-changing selection of cold draught beer is available, which supports the local breweries and craft beers from the area abound.

The deal: $2 off any NY state beer

The bar: A (seemingly) low-key place on an off-the-hipster/beatnik-beaten-path in Williamsburg, with a backyard, foosball table and lots of great beers to choose from. The actual physical bar itself is long, extends the length of the narrow-ish space and faces extensive chalk-written lists of the spirits available. I started with a Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest. I love a good seasonal beer, and let's be honest beer in general...but this was really very tasty. The waitress was friendly and did something I love- started a tab without demanding a credit card. It's so much nicer to pony up to the bar and not be asked for money as soon as the bartender sets a glass down, it really does make me feel comfortable in a place right away when I'm treated like a regular. So we stayed awhile, and the next thing I tried after being given a tasting-size (another favorite bartender practice) was a Bitter End pale ale My companion, maybe you've heard of her, was skewing towards the stouts. Judging by her quick-emptying glasses, she thought those were delicious too.

The narrative: We got of the train in hipsterville and made our way to The Gibson. Along the way, I scanned Bedford for an amazing taco truck I've visited on Billyburg trips past. IT IS AMAZING! I didn't see it, but I vowed to search harder (and drunker) later. When we arrived about 7PM the place was relatively quiet and there were only a few patrons at the bar/tables. As we sat, caught up on life and drained our glasses, that changed. Around the time Clams and I had compared notes on most everyone we have in common and moved on to personal anecdotes, out of nowhere: boys who like baseball had populated the bar. There was a game on between...um, you know teams wearing shirts with numbers on them. FACT: I like going to games (and drinking beer) but I honestly can't bring myself to care much about sports. Anyway, big screen TVs got turned on and cheering ensued. It was fine, but a surprisingly quick morph of the scene. We considered going into the outdoor area, but vetoed due to the night chill (remember when it was cold in October?). On to the next!...to be continued.

The verdict: Go for the great service and selection, but to stay and make a night of it (depending on the night/season) you might need to be a sports fan. If there's a Saints game on maybe I'll see you there. Cheers.

The eff up: Umm, yeah...I don't want to sound like a drunkard or anything, but only realized upon starting to write this entry that the bar I visited/reviewed may not have been the one I was supposed to. The Passport shows a Prospect Park West address, and I was most certainly on Bedford. Either there was a misprint, or I'm an epic drunkard and there are 2 bars in Brooklyn named The Gibson. So,now I have to admit- I forgot said Passport on my desk at work on this particular trip. I googled "The Gibson" but didn't cross-ref w/ the 'port, and just went to the address I found there. Who knows if they would have honored my $2 off deal, or if another Gibson even exists?...it will remain a mystery until I buy a compass (or compass app) and return to this mysterious beery borough called BROOKLYN.