Blogs

1) Mixology is? "It’s an art for me."
2) Inspiration for my drinks comes from? "Mexico. Mexican flavor."
3) Favorite part about working in Chinatown? "Apotheke. I‘ve worked at Apotheke for a long time. It’s my second home.”
4) It’s 2 a.m. and your shift is over, what now? "I'm very tired. I go home, sleep, and come back."
5) When I’m not working I’m? "I stay at home and see my family. My sons and I go outside, see movies, spend time together."

1) Mixology is? “It’s a continuation of a practice that’s existed since alcohol was around. It’s not something new. It’s just receiving more attention now because it’s becoming more sophisticated.”
2) Favorite part about working in Chinatown? “It’s completely different than my neighborhood or where I grew up. It’s a bizarre place. You see weird things here every day, really weird things.”
3) It’s 2 a.m. and your shift is over, what now? “I get on my bike and I ride 5 miles home.”
4) When I’m not working I’m? “In my studio making art.”

My! What charming packaging you have. {The better to woo you with, my dear.}

Kiki, bar back and prep guy, wig-ified, and standing next to Matt, expediter. We'll let the facial expressions speak for themselves and, no, wig-ified is not a real word.

Our beloved mixologist Joe P recently had a dream about playing baseball with a bucket of peaches and a giant cinnamon stick. Naturally we couldn't ignore such tasty visceral visions, so we asked him to hit a home run with this week's Farm Fresh Elixir. Rumor has it, Joe was last seen moon walking across home plate, cocktail in hand.

Lapsang Souchong, used in our Smoked Negroni cocktail, has long been hailed by herbalists for its health benefits. The antioxidants contained in this tea have been shown to help with heart health and are recognized for providing a calming effect. Legend even goes that when Princess Catherine, who is credited for bringing the custom of tea time to England, got married to King Charles II, she made sure that she brought along her favorite tea, Lapsang Souchong, with her from Portugal.

Kiki or “The Amazing Kiki,” as most of Apotheke’s employees call him, doubles as bar back and prep guy. The backbone of Apotheke, here he’s pictured (right) with our head mixologist, Nicolas, (left). We'll let the rest of the picture speak for itself.

This week, Apotheke begins a new “Farm Fresh Elixir” series. Each week one of our resident mixologists will create a special cocktail featuring sustainably grown, local produce. To keep things interesting the showcased elixir will debut each Monday and will only be available for one week. This cocktail series aims to further celebrate our commitment to collaborating with and supporting local farmers.

Horny Goat Weed, the secret ingredient in our Deal Closer cocktail, is a relatively new sensation in the United States. Other countries, however, have marveled at the existence of this plant and its aphrodisiacal properties for centuries. The legend is that horny goat weed was initially discovered by a Chinese goat herder who noticed increased sexual activity in his herd when he fed his goats this plant. In fact, in China, where this herb is known as yin yang huo, the plants medicinal attributes have been studied for hundreds of years.

The wise words of our bar manager.

Photo by Sheila Griffin.