There is a new reason to go below street level in Williamsburg. Undercurrent, a reservation-only, 20-seat rum tasting den tucked under Echo Lake, has quietly opened and is already drawing rum collectors and cocktail obsessives. The subterranean room pours from a tightly curated stash of vintage and rare rums, paired with small, sea-focused plates meant for long, lingering tastings.
A 20-seat, by-appointment tasting room
According to Echo Lake, Undercurrent operates as an intimate, 20-seat cellar directly beneath the main bar, and reservations are required. The venue lists its address as 357 Grand Street in Williamsburg and directs would-be guests to its reservations page to lock in the cellar experience.
Built by drinks vets with Lost Lake pedigree
Undercurrent is the basement passion project of Chloe Frechette and Paul McGee, the duo behind Echo Lake, who bring decades of cocktail and rum know-how to the space. As Eater NY reports, Frechette’s editorial background and McGee’s time at Chicago’s acclaimed Lost Lake help explain the bar’s collector-minded, rum-obsessed approach.
A drinkable museum of vintage spirits
The cellar’s list leans heavily on decades-old bottles and vintage amari, with an eye toward spirits you are unlikely to see twice. The Infatuation even dubs Undercurrent “a drinkable museum of vintage spirits,” where guests can do side-by-side tastings of modern and vintage versions of the same liqueur. OpenTable’s listing highlights pre-embargo Cuban rums from the 1930s and an early Trader Vic Mai Tai from 1963 among the bottles being poured by the ounce.
Sea-forward snacks and a rotating daiquiri
Pre-opening coverage showed the Echo Lake food menu steering toward the sea, with oysters, snapper crudo, and bread served with warm crab butter among the small plates backing up the pours. Greenpointers ran a preview featuring those dishes, while Eater NY notes a $12 Daily Daiquiri that rotates based on the rum of the day.
Expect to pay for rarity
This is not the spot for a cheap nightcap. The Infatuation reports that cocktails and rare pours start around $25 and only climb as the bottles get more elusive. With only 20 seats and one-of-a-kind spirits, the cellar is built for slow, comparative tasting sessions rather than a quick round before heading elsewhere.
What it adds to Williamsburg's scene
Undercurrent joins a wave of tightly curated, spirit-focused tasting rooms that have made New York’s bar scene more specialized this year, pushing Williamsburg further into destination territory for collectors as well as casual drinkers. Greenpointers quotes the owners on their goal of showcasing rum as an agricultural product that reflects the land and the labor of its producers, while OpenTable has already slotted Echo Lake onto lists of New York’s coolest new bars.
How to book and go
For those ready to head downstairs, Echo Lake’s website handles bookings and lists the Undercurrent experience directly on its reservations page. The bar is located at 357 Grand Street in Williamsburg, and the venue advises making reservations and keeping groups small for the cellar’s tight, 20-seat setup.
