Terry and Anne Kellerman’s latest project, The Alchemist, is new to White Bear Lake, and the guests are loving it. Described by Terry as a craft cocktail lounge that is “very small and intimate,” The Alchemist seats 35 people, though there is abundant standing room and a deck planned for next year, which will seat 20. The steampunk art and décor is Terry’s favorite feature of the place. Another? Getting Johnny Michaels on board, a star of the Twin Cities cocktail scene.
Michaels is the creator and overseer of the cocktail program at The Alchemist. Michaels’ specialty cocktails change frequently. “Being a sports fan, I like to think of our drink list like a team on the floor,” Michaels says. “Some players are so good they never come out, but others are rotated in and out.”
Want to try one of Michaels’ drink suggestions? “Takin’ It to the House” is perfect for the football season. “It’s a bourbon, apple-ginger-lemon-sour with some cinnamon bitters and tinctures,” says Michaels.
Michaels couldn’t narrow down his favorite part of the new lounge. “Terry has done such an amazing job designing the space; but if I had to, I’d say it’s our guests,” Michaels says. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I ventured out from the Twin Cities, but it turns out there are a lot of cool people out here in White Bear Lake. I dig our clientele.”
