A cult cocktail brand born behind an unmarked oak door on a narrow Chinatown street in 2008 is finally coming to Miami Beach. Apotheke South Beach opens October 16 behind its own unmarked entrance on Washington Avenue at Moxy South Beach, marking the botanical mixology concept’s fourth location nationwide and its first expansion into Florida.
The new lounge joins existing Apotheke outposts in New York City’s Chinatown, Los Angeles, and New York’s NoMad district, according to PR Newswire, which detailed the brand’s deliberate, non-franchise approach to expansion. As reported by Foodservice News, the South Beach debut marks the first time Apotheke has brought its original cocktail formulas to Florida.
A Design Legacy Carried Forward
Apotheke’s visual identity traces back to co-founder and original designer Christopher Tierney, who created the signature aesthetic of the original Chinatown speakeasy. Tierney passed away in April 2021 before completing the brand’s NoMad location, leaving his sister and co-founder Heather Tierney alongside longtime brand partners to carry his design language into later venues, including South Beach, per 6sqft. The seed story notes that Apotheke South Beach’s design is inspired by Christopher Tierney’s original work.
The brand’s pedigree runs deep: Apotheke Chinatown was recognized by Architectural Digest as one of the best speakeasies in America, while Time Out Los Angeles named Apotheke Los Angeles the most stylish bar in that city. The Los Angeles location also received the German Design Award for Best Interior Architecture, and Apotheke NoMad was named the Americas winner for Club & Bar Design in 2023, according to SBID.
Nine New Formulas Made for Washington Avenue
Rather than organizing drinks by spirit, Apotheke sorts its menu by intended effect, with categories like Stimulants, Painkillers, Aphrodisiacs, Euphoric Enhancers, and Health & Beauty, a concept rooted in old-world apothecary traditions, as explained by Chase.com. Apotheke South Beach’s own formula list was curated by Nicolas O’Connor, who said the brand builds its drinks in collaboration with plants…