Bocce ball: the new bar sport

In case you’re out of the hipster-know, billiards, darts and foosball are over. The new bar game of choice is bocce ball.

Isn’t that an outdoor sport, you say? That’s what I thought too. But those crafty rascals out in Brooklyn have figured out how to replicate a bocce ball court indoors. It comes in the form of a long, clay pathway surrounded by a wooden border surrounded by hundreds of cheering, intoxicated bar patrons. What better venue?

If you’d like to take a gander, there are a few good places to get started. One of the best (and most trafficked) is Union Hall, a long, darkly lit bar lined with books and couches with a fireplace in the center. Another option is Floyd.

Mike Barish and I limped our way through a few games at Union Hall last week and met modest success. We were then housed by a man in an argyle sweater and his friend. Turns out people get pretty into the competition.

If you really get involved though, subscribe to the Brooklyn Bocce Ball Bulletin where you can get the lowdown and happenings-on in the local sporting community. Practice hard — I’ll be perfecting my backspin in preparation for the match.