The apothecary-inspired bar has led the way in creating trendsetting craft cocktails: we have them to thank for making cilantro and carrots standard ingredients. Apotheke also pioneered functional drinks that harness botanicals to help you feel more calm or energetic. 

So we were thrilled, and more than a little curious, to learn the secrets behind some of their famed elixirs from the new book Apotheke: Modern Medicinal Cocktails. “The mission of the book was to detail the art of the Apotheke cocktail through the lens of medicinal mixology, and for people to share in the fun of creating the Apotheke experience in their homes,” says founder Christopher Tierney, who co-authored the book with Erica Brod. 

This isn’t your standard celebrity cocktail book either; there’s equal space devoted to the power of plants and their benefits. Whether you’re a casual imbiber or a serious mixology devotee, you’ll find the recipes in the book as intoxicating as a visit to the Chinatown watering hole.

Make your New Year’s Eve at home feel a little more special with these three relatively straightforward recipes that just might invite more health, beauty, and euphoria into your life. 

Kiwi’s Playhouse

Fennel and marjoram, which are great to have in your herbal arsenal, have long histories of healing. This creation is also a great way to explore a couple of less-common spirits from Brazil and Korea, respectively: cachaça and soju (a clear distilled beverage).

Ingredients:

Kiwi slice
1 stalk fresh fennel
Pinch marjoram
1/1/2 ounces cachaça
1 ounce soju
½ ounce lime juice
Dash agave
Garnish kiwi slice and marjoram

Directions:

Muddle the kiwi, fennel, and marjoram in a shaker. Add the measured ingredients and ice to the shaker and shake vigorously. Double strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a kiwi slice and a sprig of marjoram.

Path of the Righteous

Smoky, oaky, and tart. An herbaceous dive into a deeper, darker take on the boulevardier. The rhubarb swizzle stick garnish enhances the tartness as you sip and stir.

Ingredients:

1 ½ ounces pleated Scotch
1 ounce sweet vermouth (Antica Formula)
¾ ounce Aperol
Bar spoon green Chartreuse
Dash Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters
Garnish quarters rhubarb swizzle stick

Directions:

Add the measured ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir approximately 50 rotations until the liquid is thoroughly chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with rhubarb. 

Tokyo Drift

Where Asia meets Kentucky. This is our take on a bourbon sour but soaked with matcha tea and Cabernet. The diverse ingredients create an impressive visual layering.

Ingredients:

1 ½ ounces bourbon
½ ounce sake
1 ounce matcha tea
1 ounce Sour Mix (See Note)
½ ounce egg white
Cabernet Sauvignon
Garnish matcha powder

Directions:

Add all of the measured ingredients to a shaker. Dry shake (without ice). Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass. Using the bar spoon, float a small layer of Cabernet on the top. It should settle beneath the egg white foam and above the other liquid. Garnish with matcha powder.

Note: To create the Sour Mix, combine 2 parts granulated sugar with 1 part water in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Add 1 part lime juice to the cooled syrup and store in a clean, airtight glass bottle. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.