Brooklyn Stoop Drinkers Unite!

OK, OK, I know this isn't technically about wine . . . but beer is like wine, sort of . . . right? Anyway, there's an interesting beer-related story that's been all over the place in NY this morning about a Brooklyn man, father of two, president of his co-op board, good citizen extraordinaire, who is protesting receiving a ticket for drinking a Sierra Nevada on his stoop.

As you may know (from the movies, if nothing else) stoop sitting is a big part of everyday life in Brooklyn, and for most of it's residents, the stoop serves as a place for social gathering and a surrogate back yard for building residents. The man in question, Kimber VanRy, has decided to have it out with the city and fight for his right to drink a bottle of beer on his stoop if he wants to.

According to city ordinances, stoop-drinking is technically considered drinking in public, but many Brooklyners would argue that the practice is very much in the gray area. The story that The NY Times ran this morning gives a fairly in depth rundown of the situation and how things might play out. If you've got a free minute or two, it's well worth the read.