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Where We're Drinking: Sweet Ups

Seizing some rare down time, Victor Ozols popped into Brooklyn's Sweet Ups recently for a vodka martini. Okay, two vodka martinis. Here's the verdict:

Some bars cater to the early-evening crowd, while others don't get hopping until after midnight. Sweet Ups, a slick-looking lounge on a quiet section of Graham Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one of those late-night places, which is why we always make a point to get there by 9:00 p.m. As dorky as that may seem, we're not on the make or dying to interact with the hepcat hordes, so it works for us. At that hour, we're able to slide into a dark, curved banquette, order up a couple of cocktails, and appreciate the dim lighting and funky music that make this a lounge that wouldn't seem out of place in downtown L.A. - but seems to suit Brooklyn even better.

So I asked the bartender for a dry vodka martini, and he proceeded to pour me a limply-shaken concoction that was about 1/3 vermouth. It wasn't the worst drink I've ever had, but I made a point to order my second drink from the other bartender, a shaggy-haired young man who got it right by just whispering the glass with vermouth. We sipped our drinks as old Morrissey songs played on the stereo and a handful of patrons trickled in from the street, chattering about their hectic lives and chaotic relationships. We took in the scene as the red light gave everything a romantic sheen. Soon, the regulars began to take their designated bar stools, so we stepped back into the sultry summer night and made our way home.

Related Stories:
· Sweet Ups [Official Site]
· Sweet Ups [Citysearch]
· Bars Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Victor Ozols]