Overview
While not quite a true speakeasy (it's hard to claim secret status when there's a prominent sign pointing to your door), this secluded cocktail lounge behind the lobby of the Amora Hotel on Jamison Street still channels the Prohibition-era hedonism that made the 1920s roar. Parquet floors, marble countertops and deep-pile velvet upholstery. Chevrons, curves and polished wood finishes. A palette of corals, umbers, moss greens and midnight blues. Add them all together and Brooksy's opulent decor is a full-throated love song to the art deco and bauhaus movements, down to the last draped curtain and brushed-brass light fixture — a fitout so luxe, it could make a Gatsby blush. And yet, for all its OTT extravagance, this 70-seat venue is still compact enough to feel intimate.
The cocktail list, designed by award-winning bartender Brendon Hill, is a tribute to the golden age of travel — when globetrotting socialites crossed continents in search of adventures. Each concoction marks a stop on a grand global tour, taking in Australia, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and even the Caribbean. Expect some theatrics too, when you order the Taishō, a Japanese-inspired mingle of yuzu sake, gin, strawberry, Calpico and miso served with a side of fruity bursting boba and a bubble of mist sitting on top, which pops to release a floral fragrance with your first sip.
The Wilderness Symphony is inspired by the frozen tundras of Alaska, which blush pink at sunset when the sun's last rays dance across the fields of ice. Designed to share, this sparkling number sees vodka, elderflower liqueur, triple sec, prosecco and winter fruits added to a large glass bottle with an eerie skull design and flash-chilled with the addition of liquid nitrogen. A rush of mist erupts from the bottle, making it one of the biggest showstoppers on the menu.
However, the top spot, as far as spectacle is concerned, goes to the Popcorn Blazer, a pyrotechnic fusion of Benriach 10-year-old whisky with a splash of Drambuie and a dash of walnut bitters, finished with popcorn-flavoured syrup before being ignited. Marvel as your bartender pours cascades of flaming liquid between copper cezve pots before serving your beverage in a brandy snifter, warm and steaming.
If all that excitement has helped you work up an appetite, executive chef Hemant Dadlani's menu of bar snacks is at the ready. It also takes its cues from Hill's international concept, with yuzu scallops with zippy hits of ikura and wasabi, Glacier 51 toothfish served with shiro miso and cucumber salsa, and fiery Jamaican jerk chicken sliders among the dishes on offer.
