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Photo Cred: Apotheke and Compass + Twine
What do passwords, prescriptions, & pretty ladies all have in common? Apotheke.
Chinatown probably isn’t the first place to come to mind when you think of a place for mixologist cocktails, Wednesday night burlesque shows, and live jazz music. But, alas, hidden amongst restaurants and fish markets on a nondescript street in Chinatown, is one of our favorite bars.
The apothecary inspired speakeasy is easily one of the coolest bars in the city, but it can be tough to find if you don’t now what you’re looking for. Apotheke is disguised, so only the in-the-know peeps can find it. The old wooden door under a small, nondescript “chemist” sign is the entry. The only thing that might give it away is the serious looking bouncer who appears after 9pm. On Wednesdays, a password is required… and they are SERIOUS about that.
You feel like you’ve been transported into another world. The dimly lit bar is decorated in heavy red velvet curtains and the bartenders call themselves chemists. We love going for the weirdly tasty cocktails (they call them prescriptions) like the ‘Harvest of Mexico” with roasted corn, mezcal, agave, lime, and habanero infused bitters. The fancy “Thai White Lady” is made with thyme-essence, gin, egg white, orange, and lemon sour. A C+T favorite is the “Letters to Cuba”…but we tossed too many back to remember precisely what’s in it. If you’re lucky enough to make it to one of the live jazz nights, sit back, enjoy and you may be surprised by the occasional burlesque performance. Those can really turn a lame hump day into something interesting.
