Spirit Quest

With new bottles appearing on the back-bar all the time, it's impossible to know which are actually worth a try. Let Gianfranco Verga and his Tuesday Night Tastings at Louis 649 help you decide.

Each week, Verga--a former spirits portfolio manager--features a favorite liquor, beer or wine and invites its producer to come into this East Village bar for an intimate show-and-tell. The guest star pours samples and mixes cocktails free of charge while explaining the story behind the bottle.

On a recent Tuesday, we were in good company. These underground demos--which, in the coming weeks will host producers of Balvenie Scotch, Hendrick's Gin and Lillet--draw in the area's top bartenders (from the likes of PDT, The Flatiron Lounge and Death & Co.), turning these casual meet-ups into informative roundtables.

The bar doesn't have a kitchen, but these gatherings will soon gain sustenance: Beginning in November, Louis 649 will serve food from local purveyors like Saxelby Cheesemongers, Bklyn Larder and Trois Petits Cochons.

Louis 649, 649 E. Ninth St. (between aves. B and C); 212-673-1190 or louis649.com