Beijing Boyce

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Expect to find everything from Satan’s Whiskers to Algonquins among the cocktails on offer at Apothecary: Cocktails and Dining when it opens just down from Mosto (map) in Nali Studio in about a week (I will post the opening date when it is confirmed). The dog-legged space is light and spartan but homey, with white walls, pine shelves, black seats, an oak counter, and plenty of stainless steel behind the bar. Leon Lee, one of the owners and former manager of OT Lounge, says the initial menu will have about 40 cocktails – including 20 not found on Beijing lists  – with a focus on vintage American recipes. They include three versions of the  Sazerac – one with brandy, one with rye, and one with both. (Expect a bit of history behind the drinks if Lee is behind the bar.) The co-owners of Japanese cocktail and whiskey bar Er (map) are also involved as investors.

Lee also notes that many of the cocktail ingredients will be homemade, including the bitters, the grenadine, the olives in brine, and the syrups. He says the juice will be freshly squeezed daily and the ice – in shard, shaving, chip, and ball form – will be chiseled from blocks made with water distilled four times. There will also be a handful of wines, Champagnes, and beers available.

Lee describes the food menu, designed by Max Levy of Bei (map) in the Opposite House, as “a contemporary twist on Creole food“. It ranges from corn dogs to duck, pork, and okra gumbo to buttermilk biscuits. He adds that everything from the mustard to the mayonnaise will be made homemade and that kitchen will cure its own ham, bacon, and sausage.

The hours at Apothecary will initially be from 6 PM until late, with plans to open at lunch come the new year.

Note: With all these homemade ingredients, isn’t this the perfect place to do a reverse of Happy Hour and hold a Bitter Hour, with specials on cocktails made with bitters?