Insects, fossils and dinosaurs provide the unlikely inspiration for the cocktail list at The Museum, a new bar opened by Misha Chavez and Bill Liu in Bushwick, Brooklyn (New York City). The concept extends well beyond the menu: the entire space is designed to recapture the sense of wonder of visiting a natural history museum as a child, discovering ancient plants, luminous crystals and animals that vanished millions of years ago. Dinosaurs star in the bar’s first temporary exhibition, inspiring a dedicated selection of drinks alongside its permanent collection.
Why a Natural History Museum?
“Growing up, I was allowed very little television unless science programs about animals were on — then nobody told me to turn it off,” says Misha Chavez. “That’s where my love of learning began, and that feeling of joy and excitement that comes with discovering something new.”
When it came time to define The Museum, those childhood fascinations provided the blueprint. The concept would revolve around the objects, stories and discoveries found inside a natural history museum, with the broader aim of reminding guests of their connection to the Earth, its history and its evolution.
The Museum’s Three Spaces: Starting at the Gift Shop
The entrance area is called the Gift Shop, an informal eight-seat space with a cocktail list focused on low-ABV drinks. Here, the reference shifts away from natural history itself and toward those familiar museum corners where visitors stop for coffee, browse catalogues and pick up souvenirs.
The drinks accordingly take their cues from tea, coffee and pastries. The Green Tea Highball, for example, combines the smoothness of Irish whiskey with peach, the freshness of green tea and the lift of sparkling wine. A Milk Tea Punch and a rotating Spritz round out the selection.
Then Come the Exhibition Hall and The Museum
Beyond the Gift Shop, a corridor connects the bar’s two main rooms. This is the Exhibition Hall, its walls lined with crystals, fossils and assorted curiosities selected specifically for The Museum. Some come from the personal collections of Chavez, Liu and members of their team, lending the display a more intimate character.
Past the Exhibition Hall lies the heart of the project, the room that gives the bar its name: The Museum. Here, the cocktail menu is divided into two sections, a permanent exhibition and a temporary one that changes over time and is currently devoted to dinosaurs.
“All of our cocktails are the result of extensive research,” says Lead Bartender Bobbi Adler. “Some take a more obvious approach, like the squid ink in Ocean Life, while others are more abstract, drawing inspiration from unique animal behaviors, natural habitats and evolutionary histories.”
Insects, Fossils and Ocean Life: The Museum’s Cocktails
Among the signatures is Ocean Life, made with rum, coconut, lime, curaçao and squid ink. Its profile is Caribbean at heart, sharpened by a savory edge and distinguished by its striking dark hue.
Then there is Insectarium, whose name is quite literal: the recipe includes crickets and black ants. The crickets contribute subtly roasted notes, while the ants bring citrus and umami. They are balanced against the softer, balsamic character of honey gin, the fruitiness of fig, the bitterness of red bitter and the herbal intensity of absinthe.
Equally faithful to the concept is Fossil Record, built with reposado tequila, sesame, sherry and turmeric. The result is warm and enveloping, with toasted and pungent notes adding depth and structure.
Dinosaurs, This Time on the Plate
The food menu does not follow the cocktail concept quite as literally. Its most obvious exception is the Dino Nuggets: dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets served with house-made barbecue sauce. Elsewhere, chef Trevon Reffell takes a different route, while creatively repurposing ingredients left over from cocktail production.
Reffell’s menu is international in scope, moving from shishito peppers with garlic aioli and suya to sweet banana fritters with West African pepper sauce, and pad Thai noodles with dan dan sauce, ground meat, chili crisp and nuts.
Photos courtesy of The Museum
