You can now step inside the surreal world of Quentin Tarantino—without fear of bodily harm. Past a hidden door inside what appears to be a VHS rental store in Cincinnati, OH, lies a speakeasy dedicated entirely to the cult-favorite filmmaker.
“All of our cocktails are nods to Tarantino movies,” says Jacob Trevino, owner of The Video Archive. “Most of the cocktails have a southwestern Asian spin using ingredients like Japanese sochu and tequila, much how Tarantino mixed martial arts with spaghetti westerns in the movie Kill Bill.” Aside from the spicy Texas to Tokyo cocktail, the menu includes concoctions like the Hanzo Steel (gin and peach-gunpowder green tea syrup), the Mango Unchained (cognac and mango) and more punny drinks.
And if the mastermind behind hits like Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds walked into the bar? “After I picked my jaw off the floor, I would offer him a shot of Green Chartreuse,” says Trevino. “Mostly because of his line in Death Proof where he says, ‘Green Chartreuse! A liqueur so good they named a color after it.’”
TEXAS TO TOKYO
1 oz. Reposado tequila
1 oz. Sochu
1 oz. Lime
2 oz. Serrano-blood orange syrup
Dash of Peychauds Bitters
Dash of Agnostura Bitters
Soda
Mix all ingredients except soda. Top with soda and enjoy.
