The Irish Coffee at Red Hook’s New Pitt’s Is an Ode to a Fort Defiance Classic

After opening in 2009, Fort Defiance was long the lifeblood of Brooklyn’s once-sleepy Red Hook neighborhood. The casual spot was known for its brunch, stacked muffuletta sandwich, and perfected versions of classic cocktails, including a killer Irish Coffee. But after 15 years of service, the beloved bar and restaurant shuttered its doors in December 2023 as a result of the pandemic.

Fast forward to 2025, and the waterfront neighborhood is buzzing with new openings, from Cafe Kestrel to the revamped version of Lundy Bros. Droves take the ferry to experience Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie and the line for Red Hook Tavern’s famed thick and cheesy burger curves around the block. Red Hook increasingly feels like a tourist destination for viral foods. But one newcomer is particularly committed to keeping the attitude of Fort Defiance — and OG Red Hook — alive.

Pitt’s, which just opened in the old Fort Defiance space, is a new restaurant from Jeremy Salamon, the chef and owner of popular Crown Heights all day cafe Agi’s Counter. The bistro-style spot brings old-school New York nostalgia with some southern influences, and of course a few tributes to its celebrated predecessor. Beverage director Ben Hopkins includes one such nod to Fort Defiance in the form of an Irish Coffee. Though the hot drink is a seasonal inclusion for many restaurants, Pitt’s will serve one year round to quench the lingering cravings of Red Hook bar regulars.

But Hopkins’ take on the Irish Coffee puts an unexpected twist on the drink, featuring Mizu Barley Shochu as the base spirit rather than the traditional Irish whiskey. This is combined with a thick, 2-to-1 cane syrup, and coffee from local purveyor Pipe and Tabor. The mixture is poured into a tempered glass and topped with unsweetened cream and nutmeg.

Why remove the Irish whiskey from an Irish Coffee? Hopkins shares that they don’t typically enjoy drinking whiskey hot, so instead looked to what spirits they enjoy at higher temps. “Shochu is traditionally served warm in drinks like Oyuwari, a Japanese highball that mixes Shochu and hot water,” Hopkins says. “I find when this Shochu is heated up, it brings out the singular characteristic of the barley.” The addition brings aromatic complexity to the final drink, which, Hopkins suggests, should be enjoyed with the already iconic Pitt’s soufflé pancake at the end of the meal.

Credit: @pitts_bk via Instagram

The cocktail is listed on the menu as Taeko’s Irish Coffee, named after Hopkins’ friend and colleague Taeko Ichioka, who works with the Mizu Shochu brand. Hopkins felt that naming the drink after a member of the community even further drew the connection to Fort Defiance’s friendly, welcoming attitude.

The legacy of Fort Defiance doesn’t just live on in this one cocktail, but in the restaurant’s overall philosophy. Pitt’s saves its bars for walk-ins — something that’s unfortunately become a rarity at NYC’s hottest new restaurants — in order to help serve its regulars in the area. Hopkins also made sure to keep the drinks menu relatively uncomplicated, though, of course, there are some twists.

“Fort Defiance had a straightforward cocktail menu, they weren’t roto-vaping sh*t over there,” they say. “We want our bar to feel like a neighborhood bar. We want the cocktails to be clean and feel like something you’ve had before.”

Overall, the goal is to be a convivial place for locals to come enjoy a drink or two. “It’s an honor and privilege to have something in this space that was so important to the neighborhood and to Brooklyn drinking culture at large,” Hopkins adds. “To ignore the cultural function of the place that came before you would be ignorant.”

*Image retrieved from @pitts_bk via Instagram

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