Beer Lunch in LIC part 2

When you left me last I was all dressed up on a dark, willow-lined street in Long Island City, and I was thirsty. Once again, my friends and I stood under a sign bearing the word “bar” only this time it was followed by “LIC.” The multitude of chalkboards outside promised cold beers and a plethora of upcoming and nightly events. Yep, I thought, this will do nicely.


Inside LIC Bar, we encountered a long wooden bar, a smattering of tables, and a large wood paneled DJ booth. There were a few people drinking at the bar, ignoring the sports on the TV overhead. We pondered their beer list, which had more than one bottle on it, but also had more than one spelling error, and Brian grabbed a round. I opted for their “House Toasted” which comes from the Saratoga brewery and was a nice mellow amber. Angie went Anchor Steam, one of my favorite go-to brews. Anchor actually has a trademark on the term “steam”, a word used to describe west coast beer made in the 19th century brewed without using ice. The brewery still uses the traditional methods they began with in 1896. Somehow, to me, Anchor Steam has always tasted rich and indulgent while retaining a light quality, and it goes well with just about everything.

Also on tap, draft, draught, or “draght” are Newcastle, Brooklyn Lager, an IPA from Saratoga, Stella, “Raderberger”, Guinness, and a “beer of the month” and range from $4 to $6. Bottles go from $3 to Miller High Life to $10 Duvel and Chimay Blue. LIC Bar definitely won’t put a dent in your rent savings.

We grabbed our beers and headed out to the garden, where we were greeted by the sounds of slide guitar. A light breeze blew the willow branches over the stone wall, and as I sat at the quaint metal table I was instantly transported back to St. Augustine. Growing up in Florida, I would take trips at least once a year to the oldest city in our country and that old world vibe is something I crave when I feel a little homesick. All around us people were relaxing with friends, some even had their dogs! A BBQ station was set up next to the stage, which looked like an open sided living room. I can only imagine how nice the patio must be for day drinking.

As I sipped my Harpoon Summer ale, I noticed a guy in a white hat was moving through the garden, conferring with the band and BBQ guys. After Dutch Kills, I wanted to find a bar employee who could get me excited about their establishment. I waved him over and low and behold, he was LIC Bar’s booker, Gustavo. We chatted about the funky band on stage with the upright bass and slide guitar, Loli Zan, and he told us about the upcoming Gordon Gano show. Tickets are only $15 in advance to see the former front man of the Violent Femmes rock the garden on August 15th. LIC bar has live music every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday and DJs Fridays and Saturdays. Gustavo agreed that the garden felt a bit like St. Augustine, but said usually people liken it to New Orleans, with a few people mentioning Austin. I had a lot of fun talking with Gustavo, LIC bar was inviting and homey and oh so affordable.

We finished our beers, all of us thoroughly relaxed, our thirsts almost quenched. Loli Zan finished their set with the front man saying: “be merry and carry forth.” That sounded like a fabulous invitation to us.