One of my favorite things about Industry City is how many high-quality spots it has, and how it's usually half empty. Bitter Monk fits right in. It's a perfect place for a thoughtful cocktail without the crowds. My wife and I stopped here on a Sunday afternoon while our son was celebrating a birthday with his friends at the Brooklyn Battle Blaster Nerf Arena nearby. We had the place entirely to ourselves when we arrived, and that hour of peace and quiet with a great drink felt just luxurious. Bitter Monk comes from the same team behind Sugar Monk, the amazing cocktail bar in uptown Manhattan. It's an intimate bar that doubles as the tasting room for Atheras Spirits, their micro-distillery. The menu is built around house-made amari, herbal liqueurs, and bitters, with herbs, roots, flowers, and wild plants (many of them foraged) worked into the drinks. Added bonus: Everything they pour comes from New York State. The space itself is gorgeous. Colorful stained glass glows behind the bar, framed by a metal piece that reproduces the Atheras Spirits logo. The ambiance is elegant but relaxed, cozy with a loungey vibe; the kind of place where you can settle in without feeling like you need to dress up. I had the Devil and the Blue Sea (Svol aquavit, Atheras Akhenaten amaro, tamarind, yuzu, lime, patchouli, and baharat). It was complex and layered without being muddled. My wife had the Gaia Martini (Atheras Botanical Monks Gin East, Method dry vermouth, Svol aquavit, and Atheras mastiha liqueur), a beautifully herbal take on a classic. Both were excellent. A friend who doesn't drink joined us later, and he had real options. He ordered the Butterfly Field, a zero-proof cocktail with Lyre's London Spirit, yuzu, lime, lavender, butterfly pea, orange blossom, juniper, pepperberry, and egg white. It got the same care as the regular cocktails, not a token mocktail. Side note: They don't take reservations; it's first come, first served. Happy hour runs Thursday through Sunday until 4 pm, with a choice of four cocktails for $13-14. read more