Take your Happy Hour to a church pew at Drexler’s

There isn’t much that feels illicitabout going to a bar in NYC anymore. Sohowabout sipping your whiskey sour in a church pew?

Drink where your priest won’t see you— in the cellar ofDrexler’s, a new cocktail bar coming to the East Village on Aug. 26. The team behind Bushwick mega-bar Forrest Pointleft behind the sports barconceptwhile keeping the community vibe,creatinga two-story space that feels bothsecret and welcoming.Dark woods create a cozy, rather than stuffy space next to farm-style stools andcast-iron bathtubs mounted behind the bar that store its beers,among which will be a specially commissioned brew based on KelSo’s pilsner.

The seasonally changing cocktail menu will be twisted classics like cobblers and sours, and large-format drinks like the tiki-inspired Employee of the Month (aged rum, sherry, passionfruit and allspice). But it’s particularly good to see another bar taking up the challenge of clarified milk punches.

The feeling of a place where a community comes to enjoy the best part of the day carries through in the food.Instead of small plates or bar bites, the charcuterie, cheese and antipasti plates here are served in portions meant for sharing. There are plans for DJs, but it’s the anyone-can-play upright piano in the cellarthat is likely to draw a crowd.