[updated July 5 to add links to other obituaries & tributes]
The New York nightlife community lost a giant, as Ray Deter, owner of the bars called d.b.a., has succumbed to the injuries he sustained in an auto-bicycle accident on Monday.
Today on the d.b.a. Brooklyn facebook page, Catherine, Ray’s wife posted:
“Thanks so much for everyone’s kind words and support for me and the boys….Ray will no longer be with us after this weekend, but we hope our loss will give life to others. Please celebrate Ray as he passes on. Love to you all, Catherine, Jake & Maxwell xxxx”
Ray opened the first d.b.a. in the East Village in 1994, another in New Orleans in 2000. More recently, he added d.b.a. in Williamsburg to the group in 2008. Although d.b.a. is well known in the craft beer community as a great beer bar, Ray was also very proud of their quality whiskey, bourbon and tequila collections. Hence, the bars’ website URL was DrinkGoodStuff.com.
He was the co-host (along with Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy’s No. 43) of Beer Sessions Radio, heard every Tuesday night at 5pm on the Heritage Radio Network. They described it as an audio ale salon exploring every aspect of the craft beer world. As part of their Good Beer Seal program, Ray and Jimmy are also responsible for making July “Good Beer Month” in NYC, so it is sad but fitting that Ray passes at the start of the third annual celebration of NYC’s craft beer bars.
If you are in NYC or New Orleans, stop by one of the d.b.a. locations to toast the spirit of Ray:
d.b.a. (East Village)
41 First Ave. (Between 2nd & 3rd St.)
New York, NY
212 475-5097
d.b.a. (Brooklyn)
113 N 7th St. (between Whythe & Berry St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718 218-6006
Drinkgoodstuff.com
d.b.a. (New Orleans)
618 Frenchman St.
New Orleans, LA
504 942-3731
babars.com
Links:
In the Absence of a Giant: A Personal Remembrance of Ray Deter (Goodbeerseal.com)
Thank You Ray Deter (Christiandebenedetti)
D.B.A. Owner Ray Deter Dies After Bike Accident (NY Eater)
Beloved bar owner Raymond Deter dies after getting struck by a car while bicycling (nydailynews.com)
Remembering Ray Deter of d.b.a. (NY Times)
Saying Goodbye to Ray Deter (EV Grieve)
Below is a video from The Happy Hour Guys, re-posting an earlier interview with Ray, with an added tribute:
And here is a video from 2009 by Simply Beer, that shows Ray in his element, talking about good beer and fine whiskey at d.b.a. in Brooklyn.
Beer and Spirit pairing with Ray Deter of d.b.a. from Simply Beer on Vimeo.
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