The Alchemist Brindleyplace

You're walking into theatre as much as you are a bar. The Alchemist takes its cocktail craft seriously but refuses to take itself seriously—expect drinks that arrive smoking, flaming, or otherwise bedazzled with the kind of presentation that makes Instagram cry happy tears. It's the sort of place where your bartender's actually trained in the craft but doesn't mind explaining why your Cereal Milk Old Fashioned tastes like childhood nostalgia. Perched on the 10th floor of The Water's Edge on Brindley Place, you've got proper city views that make the whole experience feel a bit more special than your average night out. The crowd's well-dressed without being insufferable, and the energy feels buzzy without being chaotic—exactly what a Friday night in Birmingham should feel like.