Albert Trummer of Apothéke has finally opened his new bar on Avenue C, having dropped the rather hilarious working title of Mixers & Elixirs in favor of Sanatorium, a name that’s true to both the bar’s Habsburgian decor (surgeon’s lamps, anatomy-driven artwork, even an X-Ray lightbox) and its Dionysian philosophy on wellness.
cocktails
New LES Resto to Serve Fancy Burgers, Upstairs a Speakeasy Named For a Busted Banker
If you were a fan of longtime watering hole Barramundi and its upstairs speakeasy, 2nd Floor on Clinton, we’re afraid you missed last call. The pair of bars had their final hurrah last night, but the good news is the space won’t stay vacant for long if all goes as planned for Tim Gashi (Rocky Slims). The restauranteur plans to open a Criff Dog style hamburger joint/speakeasy combo that he’s hoping will help revitalize the LES block.
At New East Williamsburg Bar, The Topaz, Sip a Cocktail Named for a Death Yarn
I was in the grips of a full-on Sunday hangover, on a caffeine-addled regret-stroll through East Williamsburg, when I locked eyes with a bar I’d never seen before, The Topaz. I wondered if the name, bestowed on this cocktail and small plates establishment, might be a play on “tapas.” Perhaps. But it also betrays the spirit of the place: a glimmering but none-too-fancy oasis in an otherwise spartan stretch of the neighborhood.
The Wayland Opens a Natty Neighborhood Spot, Good Night Sonny, in the Old Simone Space

(Photo: Jaime Cone)
With the launch of Good Night Sonny, Robert Ceraso and Jason Mendenhall, the chef/bartender team behind Alphabet City’s cocktail bar/live music venue The Wayland, are finally realizing their dream of opening a classic New York City tavern in the heart of the East Village. After a gut renovation of the former Simone martini bar location on First Avenue and Saint Marks, they’re having a soft opening this week with drinks and some food; they’ll be officially open for business daily from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. starting this Monday.
Caitlyn Jenner Has Become a Muse For Mixologists
She likes the nightlife, baby, so it’s no surprise that Caitlyn Jenner has inspired some new cocktails.
Have a look at the drinks menu that Williamsburg’s Trophy Bar launched this week and right under the Paris Is Byrrhning you’ll see a Call Me Caitlyn, consisting of gin, egg white, absinthe, and lemon juice.
It’s Negroni Week, Here’s Where We’re Tossin’ Em Back

Perfection (Photo: Nicole Disser)
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The Eddy’s Kelvin Uffre Showed Us His Shrub
During his stints at Aldea and Maison Premiere, Kelvin Uffre started building an array of shiny vintage gadgets that are now behind the bar of The Eddy—which opened in the East Village in April. “My Google searches around 3 a.m. get pretty strange,” he laughs. “Like, ‘antique Japanese iridescent thirties teacup,’ and ‘shrub’.” The latter is a drinkable, non-alcoholic vinegar—an old-school, pre-refrigeration way of preserving fruit—that can be used as the base of a drink.
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East Village’s Elsa Is Getting a Little Sister in Greenpoint
So, Max Fish and Welcome to the Johnsons aren’t the only downtown bars making moves in North Brooklyn. This fall, the owners of East Village cocktail nook Elsa are opening a sister space in Greenpoint called Ramona.
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Is Sam Lewontin a Coffee Snob? Well, It Depends What You Mean
Introducing the Couch Read. It’s the weekend: fix yourself a coffee and spend some time with these longer pieces.
Everyman Espresso has had a lot brewing lately. Earlier this week, it closed its East 13th Street store for a month of renovations and opened a pop-up at Tribeca’s Bikini Bar. All this while being sued by the state of New York for allegedly appropriating its “I ♥ NY” logo.
But Sam Lewontin, who manages the shop, is trying not to think about that right now. He’s more focused on the menu at the summer pop-up, which he’s hoping will touch off a radical new trend. It’s among the first in the country to offer espresso drinks that rival cocktails in their complexity. The Queen Mary, for instance, combines tomato jam, citrus, herb and AeroPressed Kenyan Ndaroni.
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