Brandy Brow is situated off State Road where, if driving past the West Tisbury cemetery and heading up-Island, you come to the decision whether to continue up-Island to Chilmark and Aquinnah, or turn left towards Edgartown. The idyllic spot, close to the road but quiet and hard to find, could be the perfect place to enjoy the drink for which it was named.

Back in the day, whaling captains were known to celebrate a good haul with the tip of an elbow and a sip or two of brandy, which was a bit fancier and pricier than the usual rum enjoyed by common folk. Another tale evokes British Revolutionary War soldiers who camped nearby and liked to tip a few back at the tavern there. Either way, Brandy Brow comes by her name honestly.

In the 1920s, Brandy Brow was purchased by Frances Newhall Woods for a village green in memory of her mother Virginia Whiting Newhall. Frances added a wayfarer’s bench and a bronze memorial plaque to honor her mother, and her son eventually donated Brandy Brow to the town in the 1980s.

In the spring, when daffodils burst forth, Brandy Brow is easier to locate, and perhaps sit a spell to meditate on the medicinal benefits of brandy over rum.

However you look at it, Brandy Brow is deserving of exploration and maybe even a toast:

May your brow be brandy, your Jim be dandy, and your harpoon be handy.