We’ve just gotten details of Apothéke, the cocktail bar that the acclaimed Albert Trummer (formerly a mixologist for Town, David Bouley, and the Thompson Hotel) has installed on Doyers Street, the curvy one-block stretch once known as the “Bloody Angle” that will soon become the Freemans Alley of Chinatown. Is this going to be amazing? Yes, we believe it will be, and not just because the address once housed an opium den. In fact, we’re so psyched that we’re not even going to laugh at Trummer for ditching the term “bar chef” for the even more high-falutin “apothéker,” since his drinks, some of which use recipes he has collected from monasteries, will rely heavily on rare and imported herbs and botanicals.
The partners in Apothéke are Heather Tierney (a former food writer and founder of the Sorted concierge service) as well as her brother, designer Christopher Tierney (they opened Burger Shoppe together). In the spirit of Chinatown, the list of over 250 specialty cocktails (that’ll keep ‘em coming back!) will be divided into categories such as Health and Beauty (containing cucumber, rose water, floral notes), Stress Relief (lavender and sage), Pain Killers (cayenne, habanero), Stimulants (espresso, Red Bull), Aphrodisiacs (Champagne, cognac), and Pharmaceuticals (herbal elixers). We’re thinking the Euphoric Enhancers category will get the most attention: The Opium Uplifter is made from South American herbs and botanicals soaked in a Guatemalan rum essence, and is finished with house bitters. The House Absinthe is supposedly made using a secret 200-year-old recipe that involves fermented sugarcane juice.
We’ll keep you posted about an opening date — as Down by the Hipster reported, the place will be in full swing for private parties during Fashion Week. During that time, we assume everyone will be ordering from the Stimulants and Health and Beauty menus.
Apothéke, 9 Doyers St., nr. Pell St.; 212-406-0400, apothekebar.com
