Looking for a low-key lawn game to play this summer? It’s in the bag.
Pushed outdoors by the pandemic, city slickers have finally discovered the rustic, down-to-earth joys of cornhole.
The horseshoes-like game — ideal for social distancing — in which you toss beanbags into a hole hollowed out of a wooden platform, has been a middle American pastime for decades. But it never seemed to click with Manhattan’s white-collar after-hours scene — or even garner an ironic appreciation in Brooklyn.
Since the lockdown, however, a bevy of opportunities to throw the beloved beanbags with an icy Narragansett in hand have popped up from the Navy Yard to the Bronx, as bars retrofit underutilized outdoor areas with games for summer fun.
It’s all about learning how to throw a flat bag, “that’s when you start catching that cornhole bug,” Trey Ryder, a cornhole analyst (yes, that’s a real thing), told the Post.
Even top athletes are taking a hole-hearted interest in the sport — with Rob Gronkowski hosting cornhole tournaments during the pandemic broadcasted on YouTube. Meanwhile nine nationwide, high-stakes tournaments in the American Cornhole League are slated to air on CBS this summer.
If you want to get in on the fun, here’s a “toss section” of NYC’s best cornhole spots.
High five
Eric Pavony, the owner of the bar Full Circle in Williamsburg, put a fun little spin on cornhole by designing his own board with five holes — in lieu of the traditional single well — aptly named “five hole cornhole.”
Full Circle will be hosting free streetside tournaments on select weekends during the ongoing Grand Street Open Streets Block Party, open through Sept. 6.
Better still, there is a free pancake breakfast on the morning of each tourney, $5 deals on margaritas, mojitos, mimosas and plenty of other drinks.
318 Grand St., Williamsburg; FullCircleBar.com
Top tier
The MO of Rooftop Reds, a rooftop winery at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, is “non-stuffy” vino. No wonder then, that the ultra-casual sport is a big hit here.
In fact, the game is so popular here that a “mutiny” broke out when COVID-19 restrictions required the bar to take away its boards, management told The Post.
No reservation is needed for local workers in the yard, otherwise it’s best to mark your name down ahead of time if you’ll be traveling from far and wide.
As the only rooftop vineyard in the world, Rooftop Reds is probably the sole spot in the city where cornhole is paired with breathtaking views and approachable, award-winning bottles of riesling for $44. Take it all in.
299 Sands St. Building 275 Suite 202, the Brooklyn Navy Yard; 703-582-8609, RooftopReds.com
A league of its own
Cornhole is taking center stage at the Bronx Brewery in Port Morris this summer.
Every Monday will be dedicated to the sport, and the brewery is even launching a league in partnership with Engcredible Sports following the Fourth of July.
The best part is, you’ll be playing in a venue like no other.
The brewery is parallel to an elevated Amtrack (and soon to be Metro-North) train line and features Bronx artist Andre Trenier’s towering mural that pays homage to the borough’s history. Trenier’s remarkable works of New York Yankees legends are also etched onto walls surrounding E. 161st Street as well.
Be sure to refuel at Empanology, a locally renowned backyard tenant of the Bronx Brewery which serves… you guessed it, exquisite empanadas that range from “OG chopped cheese” to all the way west with a Californication, made with chicken and avocado (four for $4).
856 E. 136th St., Port Morris, the Bronx; 718-402-1000, TheBronxBrewery.com
‘Hall’ of fame
At Clinton Hall, a bar franchise soon to add a sixth NY-area location on Staten Island this July, cornhole is “part of the bar’s DNA” according to Evan Puchalsky, VP of Clinton Hall’s ownership, the Lure Group.
Come for the 20 beers they’ve got on tap, and stay for their award-winning Double-Smashed Burger ($17) — and a range of games. Their Financial District spot was one of the first bars in the city to house cornhole alongside other bar games — now back in action post-lockdown — including Jenga and giant chess.
90 Washington St., Financial District; 212-363-6000, ClintonHallNY.com
Oceans ahead of the game
You don’t have to go fishing for a good time at Brooklyn Crab in Red Hook. The three-floor seafood joint boasts cornhole, along with mini golf, killer crab rolls and frozen cocktails you can enjoy in its awesome backyard space, Reed Garden.
They’ll be celebrating its 10-year anniversary with three straight days of fun, music, games and drinks from June 11 through the 13th. The backyard operates on a first-come, first-serve basis, so get there early to snag a spot— they open at noon and will keep the party going until 10 p.m.
24 Reed St., Red Hook; 718-643-2722, BrooklynCrab.com
