Enjoy an Old Fashioned or a cinnamon-flavored Christmas drink built to spec at Alchemy, Taipei’s first speakeasy, this winter
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 19, 2015
By: Dana Ter / Staff reporter
Angus Zou (鄒斯傑) seems very comfortable with interviews as he leans
A blend of Maraschino (Italian cherry liqueur), Angostura 1919 rum, lime juice, syrup and bitters, the Beginning of Prohibition boasts a strong, stingy cherry taste.
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health.
forward effortlessly in the off-burgundy leather chair he’s reclining in to hand me a name card.
The card is simple and black with the name of the bar — Alchemy — etched on it, and the address printed in gold. Below the address is the word “reservations” followed by a number to dial.
Donning a maroon dress shirt and a form-fitting gray vintage vest, Zou says the reservation system is to follow, as close as possible, the proper protocol of 1920s-era speakeasy bars in the US. When he opened Alchemy — which is arguably Taiwan’s first speakeasy-type establishment — in 2012 after years of working at big-name bars such as Barcode and Marquee, Zou wanted to keep it as low-key as possible. In the three years since, nearly every Taiwan-centered blog has touted this “hidden haunt” and Zou’s incredible mixology skills. He doesn’t like crowds, but he has over 1,000 followers on Facebook. No wonder he’s a little jaded about interviews.
