Six of the Best Spots for Boozy Book Lovers
By Lindsay Quackenbush
There’s no better bottle pairing than a twisty thriller or a poignant memoir. And contrary to popular belief, booze and books make the perfect mixers for a fun night. Whether you are looking to wine and dine with fellow bibliophiles or a refuge to reconnect with readers, here are the best spots for boozy bookworms!
Book Club Bar—New York City
Tucked away in a cozy corner of New York City’s East Village neighborhood, Book Club Bar is an independent bookstore, coffee shop, and full bar! Owned by a female duo who have lived in the neighborhood for over a decade, Book Club Bar is a community hub whose calendar includes author events, live music performances, game nights, and more! It’s the perfect place to discover and cozy up with your next read!
Drink Books—Seattle, Washington
Drink Books is a natural wine store and bookshop in Seattle! The team at Drink Books believes that “any act of consumption—be it fermented juice or a sensational sentence—is an experience worth talking about.” That’s why they take great pride in their book and bottle pairings. Each month, they select one book and one bottle for their monthly subscription program, Book Cru. Drink Books specializes in both unusual prose and wines—so look to them for your next out-of-the-box book and bottle pairing.
Rough Draft—Kingston, New York
Located in the historic, upstate New York town of Kingston, Rough Draft is a bookstore and bar dedicated to fostering community. They offer weekly events including author visits, game nights, trivia, and more. The next time you take an upstate road trip, be sure to check out this unique little oasis for book lovers and drinkers alike.
Paradis Books & Bread—Miami, Florida
Paradis Books & Bread is a cozy space with a highly curated selection of books and wine. Their curation focuses mainly on new and used books on the subjects of Black studies, critical theory, and solidarity movements around the world with a small number of fiction and poetry books from independent publishers sprinkled in. Paradis also offers a wine club for both “soft” and “serious” drinkers. If all of that wasn’t enough to entice you, they have a small menu featuring freshly baked bread, snacks, and pizza! Add this one to your Miami agenda!
Books & Brews—Indianapolis, Indiana
Books & Brews is all about disconnecting from technology and reconnecting to the people around you. They believe in coming together to talk about the things they love: books and—you guessed it—brews! At the front of their store, they sell gently used books and donate 10% of the profits to a local literary organization. At the bar, they sell craft beers with clever book-themed names like “The Nancy” after Nancy Drew and “Cream and Punishment.”
Kramers—Washington D.C.
Kramers is a jack-of-all-trades establishment boasting an independent bookstore, award-winning restaurant, event space, and a full bar. The restaurant is run by a James Beard-winning chef and offers modern, American cuisine with a hint of French influence (they also serve breakfast all day!). The event space runs a full calendar of author events, game nights, and more. The bar welcomes guests for happy hour every weekday, and the bookstore sells everything from today’s bestsellers to evergreen classics. There’s nothing a book lover/foodie/drinker can’t find at Kramers!
