Apothecary

Apothecary, from the folks behind Eu-de-Vie is all about edgy cocktails. And it offers a cocktail degustation of three different drinks, all based on a theme. Most are normally only seen in cocktail competitions.

Apothecary is tiny – there's a communal table, a four-seater beside it, and what owner Philip Gandevia describes as “kissing booths” (high tables and stools, partitioned off by thick curtains) along the walls. The tones are dark thanks to exposed brick and dark wood. A handsome vintage cabinet houses period cocktail instruments, and a taxidermy duck watches over drinkers. Behind the bar is a chemistry class worth of vials and beakers.

The idea at Apothecary is that you come for three cocktails (no beer or wine is kept). There are 12 cocktails on the menu, divided into four themes. Down the Garden Path climaxes with the Beet Drop, a mix of fig-infused port, beetroot, tarragon, egg and chocolate. His and Hers, designed for date nights, begins with a Champagne cocktail and ends with a punch spiked with aphrodisiacal syrups. A rotating theme will change once a month and be somewhat topical.

If you're not up for the whole shebang, you can order cocktails individually. Eau-de-Vie's bottled cocktails are also available. For the complete experience, set aside a couple of hours to enjoy the three drinks. And the theatre involved in making them.