Opening Alert: Play Pinball and Sip Cocktails at Branch Ofc. in Crown Heights

Christopher Buckley, a longtime bartender of Franklin Park and the co-owner of Hanson Dry in Clinton Hill has been spending a lot of time in Crown Heights lately. This afternoon, he will open his new bar, Branch Ofc. on Rogers Avenue, just south of Eastern Parkway. The old time-y bar design was inspired by his and his wife's family photos (she's a 5th generation Brooklynite) and nods at Ebbets Field, which was a fixture of the neighborhood until it was torn down in 1960. Inside there's an old school pinball machine, a photo booth, and an antique 300 pound cash register. When this city finally thaws out, Buckley will open the backyard, which will double the bar's 70 person capacity.

Drinks are straightforward with three signature house cocktails: Branch Ofc. (Jameson, lime, bitters), Vero Beach Fizz (Cruzan rum, grapefruit, ginger), and Note to Clara (Beefeater, lemon, cava). There are also cans of Schaefer, the official sponsored beer of the Dodgers when they were still in Brooklyn. To eat, there are a few sandwiches, plus bags of chips, pickles, nuts, and cookies.