Alchemy Spirits & Concoctions

On any given night, I would give Alchemy a 5-​star review. The atmosphere is fantastic, the service is excellent, and the drinks are top-​notch. In fact, I recommend you go up to the bar some time and watch the bartenders make them. A lot of love goes into each of these concoctions.
That being said, you’re only as good as your last experience, and it was the particulars about the last one that really soured my mood on this place.
Went on Saturday, 12÷14÷13 with my girlfriend and her three friends. I think this was the fourth or fifth time I had been to the speakeasy. We had a reservation and were seated in a reasonable time. That night was counter service only, which is the first time I had been to Alchemy in which we didn’t have a waiter. That’s cool. I can adapt on a busy night.
On entrance, everything was typical Alchemy affair. The lights were low, the jazz was playing in the background, and the staff was hustling to create the ornate cocktails on the menu.
We were enjoying our time when in walks a large group that looks like they came straight from Bullwinkle’s. Not a big deal to me, but all had a beer brought in from the other bar and they took up most of the space between the booths and the bar. Every other time I’ve been to Alchemy, I’ve been told I can’t bring in my drink from Filling Station.
It seemed like the group was set-​out to break every rule that makes Alchemy a special place in Tallahassee. A refuge if you will. They were starting chants, taking tons of pictures with flash, spilling beer on our table. At one point a guy was waving around a pair of black lacey panties. That was a pretty big turn-​off to the ladies I was with.
I got up to ask the Maitre D’ what the deal was. Is this the new normal for Alchemy? He apologetically explained to me that the group was Alchemy’s owner and his friends.
That really struck me as arrogant and upsetting. The owner seems to have invested a lot of work into creating a special place apart from many of the bars in Tallahassee only to undo it by creating his own party-​pad for him and his friends. It almost doesn’t sound right, but that is what took place that night.
At that point, we decided to leave. The ladies I was with went to use the restroom before heading out only to find a girl in there on the floor, puking into her drink cup. Nice.
What’s wild is I may just go back here at some point because I have really enjoyed it in the past. Hopefully this was truly a once in a blue moon experience.

Took a small road trip with my wife for my birthday and somehow ended up in Tallahassee. Go figure. What is there to do in Tally besides tailgating and getting white-​boy wasted at a frat party? You can go to a Prohibition-​era inspired speakeasy!
I’m a huge fan of Boardwalk Empire so coming here was a no brainer. Of course, I can’t take credit for finding this location. That goes to Katherine M. (who is awesome, btw!) She had a reservation waiting for us and we went to the secret entry location. We waited inside of a bar with some of the most obnoxiously drunk people I’ve ever seen (and I’m from Miami!) I can’t blame them though, it was FSU’s homecoming and the ‘Noles had just won their game. I was more than happy when the host of Alchemy opened up the wall and ushered us into another world. He gave us a quick run down of the guidelines of the establishment:
No.1
Keep your mind open to new experiences.
No.2
Please dress sharply and speak easy. Mind your manners.
No.3
Do refrain from talking on your telephone inside the bar.
No.4
No flash photography.
No.5
Please be patient. Quality cocktails take time. And love.
No.6
Gentlemen, be so good as to remove your hats.
No.7
If you must smoke, leave your cirrhosis at the table and take your cancer out the back door. Full re-​entry required.
No.8
Gentlemen will not approach ladies. If you’d like to make someone’s acquaintance, please ask the bartender to introduce you.
No.9
Speak easy and enjoy.
We walked in and were taken to our booth. The bar is dimly lit and has a cool vibe. Everyone was chatting and having a great time. I was afraid it would be too formal, but everyone was up and walking around and enjoying the site of the Alchemists making cocktails. I went through their menu and chose two drinks that I had to have.
I chose the Penicillin based on the name. How could I resist? Dewar’s Blended Scotch, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, and honey. The cocktail was gentle and had a nice sour note to it. The other drink was Pimm’s Ginger which was made with Pimm’s, St-​Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, a slice of cucumber, an orange wedge, lemon, ginger beer, and charged water. The result was a very sweet cocktail with absolutely no kick. It’s the kind of thing you order for someone who doesn’t like to drink much.
My problem with both cocktails was that they weren’t strong. I wanted to ask the Alchemists to make me something new on the spot, but wanted to move on with my night. The menu is more of a suggestion, after all, and if I really wanted to get trashed I would have ordered an Absinthe fountain (yeah, they have those.) We hung out for a bit taking in the scene and the jazz music before heading out the back door — which is disguised as a book case.
The design of Alchemy was well thought out and I truly enjoyed my visit. One thing did REALLY bother me. At one point there was a guy there wearing jeans, flip-​flops, and a cheaply made jersey walking around. Some of the reviewers mentioned being turned down at the door for not dressing the part so it upset me to see this guy there. Get on that, Alchemy. Everything else is pretty much spot on.

Second time here, and such fun. Both times, the bartenders were great, creating for me items that weren’t on the menu, but were more inline with my pallet.
The ingredients are the best, the craftsmanship superb and the prices reflect that.

Word has spread quickly about this «secret» bar.
I went with my fiancée and a couple of her friends to see what all the hype was all about.
I heard that reservations are not required, but are highly encouraged. I haven’t heard of anyone actually getting in without having a reservation though. Make a reservation on their website, and someone will call you on that day with a secret password that you are supposed to whisper in order to enter the bar.
The bar entrance is located right next to the two pool tables at Midtown Filling Station. You’ll see a wall with a numberpad, that’s where the entrance is. I won’t spoil the rest of the experience in entering this bar, but I will give you my experience as I sat at the booth looking at the menu.
This isn’t a place where you expect to find happy hours or any other deals on drinks. Be prepared to spend around $ 13 a drink, depending on what you get. The bartenders are all very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and history of the drinks they are serving. I will very impressed by this. They also dress the part, most of the men having awesome beards. There are lots of interesting drinks that I have never even heard of. The drinks are not limited to the menu they present you. They will make you anything you want, and if you don’t like it they will be glad to alter it so that you will enjoy it.
If you are looking for a cool fun experience, and don’t mind spending $ 13 for a couple of drinks, check this place out! Make sure you dress up too! :)
Also, there aren’t a lot of pictures of this place because the room is so dimly lit you can’t get a good picture (smart on their part: P)

We went on a Saturday night so it was a bar service only night, which was nice cause it gave us the chance to see our drinks made, the atmosphere was perfectly set, the only thing missing would be a small live jazz band and you would trully believe that you stepped in the past once you crossed that hidden door at the filling station. A must go to place if you are ever in Tally