Irony, Kitsch and Good Ole’ Fun at the Bushwick Country Club

A giant stuffed monkey presides over the top shelf of the bar at the Bushwick Country Club. Its webbed feet ironically point at a mishmash of young Brooklynites in hip getup who sip drinks, eat Cheetos and make out in dim, red-lit corners.

Irony is big at this quaint, clean dive bar with a kitschy vibe. The bartender’s mustache is ironic, and so is the blow-up moose head on the wall. Irony hovers over the miniature golf trappings in the backyard made out of flattened PBR cans. An ironic likeness of a hobo is drunkenly sprawled out at one of the miniature golf holes. 50 cent is ironically telling timid young men in glasses and suspenders to “go out and pop something,” or “stop frontin’.” The bar even bears an ironic name, since it’s neither a country club, nor is it located in Bushwick.

The irony stops here, however. Unlike many local bars, the staff consists of professional bartenders, wholeheartedly dedicated to their trade. Most nights Tom Chadwick, who has worked the bar since the Bushwick Country Club opened four years ago, lines the bar with apothecary bottles, filled with herb and fruit concoctions, to make his signature artisan drinks infused with fresh fruit juices. During his time off, Chadwick brews spiced beer and cooks up fruit liquors in his apartment. The summer bartender, who comes from North Carolina, barbeques delicious pulled pork sandwiches in the backyard, and gives them out for free to whoever wants one.

Since a pickle-maker of gourmet McClure’s Pickles lives next door and uses the bar’s basement for storage space, he supplies the Bushwick Country Club with free pickles. Expectedly, the “Pickle Shot,” a mix of PBR, bourbon and pickle brine is one of the most popular drinks here. Chadwick modestly attributes the drink’s goodness to the gourmet McClure’s Pickles brine. Besides its special drinks, the bar features a decent selection of locally brewed, reasonably priced tap beers and standard top shelf alcohol.

For those who like to keep busy while drinking, the bar provides a myriad of activities. Patrons can shoot at exotic animals at the zebra striped “Big Buck Hunter Safari” for quarters. There is a rare black and white photo-booth that takes pictures for $3. The juke box covers a wide spectrum of music, from Chuck Berry to Iggy Pop to Arcade Fire. During the summer there is free miniature golf in the backyard and BYOB grilling on the bar’s barbeque.

The greatest quirk of the bar is that, like a real country club, the Bushwick Country Club offers a membership, which is only obtained after recommendations of two members. After one becomes a member, he can take advantage of the discounts offered on the bar’s chalkboard. But like most things at the bar, the membership is, obviously, ironic, and all are welcome at this Brooklyn oddity.