Inside The Alchemist, Mixing Up SOMA Now

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2013 has been a banner year for the Third Street corridor: after notching Saison and Garaje, southeastern SOMA now also boasts a new serious cocktail bar, The Alchemist. It's run by Gitane alum Kinson Lau, and staffed by bartenders David Jones (Burritt Room), Jessica Everett (Tipsy Pig), and Seth Laufman (Comstock Saloon). The menu features inventive drinks like the Campfire Fizz (mezcal, cherry heering, IPA, lemon, egg, simple syrup) and the Stop Fenneling Me (gin, manzanilla, falernum, fennel bitters), as well as four bottled beers and a handful of wines. There are also a couple of non-alcoholic cocktails, as well as a rotating "Alchemist's Tincture" chalkboard special inspired by Chinese medicinal herbs.

Housed in the upper story of the former Spire, (contemporary Thai spot Root, from which drinkers are welcome to bring in takeout, is downstairs), the 70-seat space features a curved 13-seat bar, a lounge area with leather couches, and steampunky drink rails made of gears. There's a 12-foot shuffleboard table, and Lau may eventually host late-night food pop-ups or experimental nights for local bartenders to try out new recipes. Note that the hours on their website are different from their actual current hours: they're open 5 pm-close Monday-Friday, and 7 pm-close Saturday.

· The Alchemist Targets SOMA [~ ESF ~]
· The Alchemist [Official website]