Visiting New York is exciting for any cocktail zealot and with more and more places opening all over the town there hasn’t been a better time to go. Over the last couple of years exclusivity has gone beyond the 50 person snaking queue and a lot of the new-school drinking dens are trying to hide from the masses. Like Bar Tausend in Berlin APOTHEKE (meaning “pharmacy” in German) lies behind a disguised façade down an uninviting and largely unknown (even by taxi drivers) lane. I was caught by surprise when my friend and guide walked towards and opened up a large dark wooden door sandwiched between two dark grilled windows.
There was no door staff the night I visited and looking at other reviews online I might have been lucky with that one however even at 7pm the bar was buzzing. We were greeted by the waitress who quickly took our order and being the bar creeps that we are we headed to the counter to watch what was going on. My experience of American bartending is that it’s all about speed and that excuses the lack of care and attention. Although the bartender definitely knew what he was doing, throwing top shelf Rye, unlabeled laboratory pipettes of coloured liquid and ice together to create the drink, I didn’t get the feeling that there was much craftsmanship, chemistry or heart going into my libation. Having said that I started with a simple sazerac and I wasn’t disappointed. The drinks are made, as you would expect from a former prohibiton and opium den, very heavy on the alcohol and with little sympathy. The drinks list is extensive with over 250 named cocktails utilizing home made absinthe, coco and opium leaves they’re divided it into 9 or so sections but if you still can’t decide the knowledgeable ‘chemiker’ will happily give you a prognosis.
Overall the atmosphere was relaxed and un-pretentious which was surprising and although I didn’t experience the weekend crowd it seems everyone is there to enjoy the beauty of mixed liquor rather than twitter their life’s going on’s to the rest of the world. It’s a refreshing change that the clientele, at least during the week, get what the bar is trying to achieve – anonymous class. As the night went on I increasingly enjoyed the feeling of exclusivity, it’s not the wanky exclusivity you get in the VIP section of a hip-hop club, it’s a gratifying feeling – that you’re not better than any of the other consumers but that you share a common interest. Apotheke have written a heady prescription, great authentic drinks, excellent service (on a Thursday at least) and a relaxed un-pretentious atmosphere. A must visit, if you can find it.
APOTHEKE
9 Doyers Street
New York, NY 10013-5117, United States
(212) 406-0400
