"I call it the auditorium of perspective,” proclaims Frankie Solarik about the concept of his new bar, Prequel and Co. Apothecary. I’ve managed to pin down the busy cocktail maven behind BarChef for a phone interview, which I’m thankful for because I don’t want him to see how starstruck I am. His voice crackles dramatically through the speaker, “It’s the idea of using a multi-sensorial approach for a… transportive experience,” he adds.
Frankie Solarik, Owner and Kurt Tissera, Director of Operations, Frankie Solarik Holdings
Carmen Cheung
Solarik’s words drip with grandeur, and when I step into Prequel, I realize they’re fitting. A deep-blue faux storefront off Queen West opens up into a space styled like a late 1800s Paris apothecary, historical dispensaries credited with the birth of modern cocktail culture. Inside, dried herbs, spices and botanicals in dusty jars line deep-brown oak walls; classic French music drifts down from hidden speakers; and an antique rotary phone glistens behind a receptionist’s desk. After a short wait, one party at a time is ushered through a secret entrance to Prequel’s spacious back-room bar.
Here, bartenders sporting tightly knotted bow-ties whisk out tipples with lightning speed. Don’t expect BarChef’s famed spectacles — instead, subtle details are how these drinks shine. Prequel’s méthode classique technique takes cocktails back to their roots by grinding spices with cast-iron mortar and pestles, muddling herbs and squeezing citrus à la minute (to order). The result is complex drinks primed for slow sipping and savouring.
The cocktail menu is divided into three sections: Classics, genre-defining drinks like a daiquiri or negroni; the Herbaceous, Citrus & Floral section, with brighter bevvies; and Forest, Woods & Smoke, for darker, spiced and more spirit-forward options. A cryptic message awaits at the end of Prequel’s cocktail menu: “To be continued…” When I ask Solarik what that means, I can practically hear his mischievous smirk and steepled fingers. “It’s going to be a trilogy,” he says of BarChef and Prequel, without offering more details. We’ll just have to wait and see what he stirs up next.
Carmen Cheung
Champagne & Absinthe
The Champagne & Absinthe is "Prequel’s most-popular cocktail by far," says Solarik. It’s a bright and bubbly display of carefully curated flavours, with a neutral canvas of Pinnacle Vodka as the base. Served in vintage glassware (like nearly every other drink here), muddled cucumber, basil and fennel seed do the waltz with celery bitters, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, absinthe, freshly squeezed lime juice and champagne. Solarik garnishes the drink with a delicate spritz of ylang-ylang hydrosol and a dainty crop of flowers to complete a refreshing and herbaceous cocktail that’s perfect for spring and summer.
Carmen Cheung
Cedar and Ginger Mule
Thanks to Solarik’s traditional-method approach to cocktails, there’s only one infusion on the menu at Prequel. It’s a stunner: a cedar-imbued Jim Beam bourbon that’s used in the Cedar and Ginger Mule. For this drink, fresh mint is muddled in an antique glass, Amaro Montenegro provides the caramel tones, and ginger beer rounds everything out. For an aromatic element, bartenders spray neroli (orange blossom) around the glass. “Orange blossom is literally one of my favourite floral waters,” Solarik gushes. “So much so that I actually have it tattooed on my neck.” If you needed more proof that Solarik is committed to his craft, there you have it.
Carmen Cheung
Apothecary 1036
Not all the cocktails here are tricky to master at home. Whip up this straightforward sipper, named after Prequel and Co. Apothecary’s address.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz Lillet Blanc
½ oz mezcal
1 lime wheel
½ oz green chartreuse
½ oz simple syrup
5 basil leaves
Champagne
Absinthe
Method
1. In a shaker, combine Lillet Blanc, mezcal, lime wheel, green chartreuse, simple syrup and basil leaves; muddle.
2. Add ice and shake to chill.
3. Double fine-strain into a glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a spritz of absinthe.
