Apotek Speakeasy: Somewhere in Oranjestad…
Upon your arrival at Apotek Speakeasy, you have to ring the doorbell before you’re granted entry. State your name and reservation or try your luck at requesting a walk-in reservation. With granted access, a host will unlock the door.
— By Kylee Ross
— Photography Kenneth Theysen
The tinted windows seen from the street keep what actually lies ahead a mystery. However, there are some clues: the words elixirs and potions are displayed in large white letters set against the dark glass. Don’t worry. You’ll be well taken care of for the rest of the evening. You’re at Apotek, after all—apotheek in Dutch translates to apothecary or pharmacy.
“The whole experience is: You’re not sure what you’re getting,” says Marksonn Maduro, owner of Apotek. “Nice menu, fancy place, good smells, nice music, but what is the core of the concept?” When the door opens, you’re transported through time. To the right, vintage pharmacy paraphernalia and other oddities. To the left, a “prescription pick up” area with orders that look like they’ve been ripped out of a prescription pad.
Choose your expertly-crafted cocktail or shot (your “remedy”) from a list of Dr.’s orders, elixirs, herbal remedies and painkillers on the prescription orders. Or consult your mixologist (your “pharmacist”) to order a custom prescription. They’ll assess your symptoms: What do you feel like? Vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, bourbon, tequila, mezcal? They’ll inquire about your palate: do you have a preference? Sweet, sour, balanced, touch of bitter, bitter, spicy? Finally, they’ll offer options for accelerants: make it a double, smoke it, add a shot of espresso, or add a shot of absinthe.
The concept for the speakeasy originated from the prescription board in the “prescription pick up” area. “It’s challenging because you have to find a story,” Maduro notes about conceptualizing a new venture. He speaks from experience. Maduro opened his first bar, Chupitoz (which translates to shots) when he was 19 and later opened open-air bar Hoya. “A lot of concepts came to mind, but then something hit us. My friend had a lot of order racks because they used to have a restaurant.” The racks were used to display orders during service and they thought it could be an interesting way to display a menu instead.
The board offers an interactive element to the speakeasy experience—physically picking up your prescription and bringing it to the bar to be prepared in front of you. Once the concept came together, Maduro and the team decided they were going to do it “really well with organic ingredients. Menu-wise, everything is based on what Aruba has to offer. Since we depend on importing everything to Aruba, we went out there to get the best fresh stuff. Cucumber planted in Aruba. Our mint leaves come from Aruba.”
As cocktails are being prepared, each of the ingredients is being showcased. The mixologists bring you each ingredient for a custom cocktail and let you in on the secret recipe. By the time your cocktail is served, you also have a display of quality spirits and “flavor solutions” (infused syrups, sea salt, bitters) in what looks like iodine bottles in front of you.
The cocktails are probably the only thing about Apotek that you can take at face value. The speakeasy is filled with stories, secrets and exclusive areas you may not even discover on your first visit. “Back in the day, this building used to be a very cool nightclub,” Maduro says. “A few friends told me this is where they used to have the time of their lives.” He says the upstairs was called The Cellar. Now, getting upstairs requires going through a hidden door in the speakeasy. That’s where you could (with the right timing and access) find Medusa—an exclusive rooftop bar and dancefloor set under the night sky.
The back of the speakeasy also throws a few curveballs. The right corner by the DJ booth holds a private lounge for members and guests of the speakeasy. Some of the replicas of antique artwork aren’t canvas at all, they mechanically blow smoke when you least expect it. The basement is now a dimly lit wine cellar complete with a green felted card table that may or may not have seen a few high rollers in its day. There’s a new flavor combination in a custom cocktail or a new twist to uncover at every turn.
The same goes for where you may spot Apotek next. “I want to start taking Apotek to the next level and take it outside of Aruba. Miami, New York…” Maduro says. “I travel a lot to discover new stuff, new syrups, new infusions.”
The way Maduro describes the experience (“You’re not sure what you’re getting”) rings true for every evening at Apotek. The point being that you must keep coming back to see what happens next.
Request the ‘Mystery Tour’, and it will undoubtedly transport you to a nostalgic journey through time.
