Our Story

Ektoras Binikos and Simon Jutras, co-founders of Sugar Monk in Harlem, have chosen Industry City to open Bitter Monk, a cocktail bar and the tasting room for their micro-distillery and spirits brand, ATHERAS SPIRITS. Since opening Sugar Monk in 2019, Binikos, an accomplished mixologist and visual artist and Jutras, a photographer and designer, have drawn acclaim for a singular style of mixology. Their cocktails are inspired by art, history and music, and incorporate Sugar Monk’s house-made elixirs which are made with foraged plants, roots and flowers, many often deemed inedible, yet full of interesting flavors that connect their cocktails to the natural world. 

Creating a micro-distillery will allow Binikos to expand on what he has been doing at Sugar Monk. “My approach to cocktails has always been to liken them to works of art, imbued with the power to evoke an emotional response and take guests on a journey,” explains Binikos. “

 “I approach the crafting of my amari, liqueurs and bitters in the same way and am thrilled to have a new home and production space to further experiment with intriguing flavors. We aspire to have our guests taste our products both by themselves as well as in cocktails while we share with them the process involved in their production.”

Binikos was born on the Greek island of Ikaria, located in a remote area of the Aegean Archipelago. It is traversed by the Atheras mountain range (1,037 meters/3,402 feet).

Many parts of the mountain, and especially the ravines, are covered with wild herbs and shrubbery that Binikos sources for his Amari and various herbal elixirs. In homage to this fairy tale mountain, we named our brand Atheras Spirits.

Guests can enjoy their fare in the intimate 17-seat moody space, designed by Jutras. It features a green-and-plum color palette, creating a calm, comfortable, modern-industrial atmosphere. Enriched by dimmed golden lighting are soft leather chairs and bar stools juxaposed to  mid-century-inspired marble top tables. Anchoring the room is a mosaic of 48 north-facing colored glass window panels spanning the wall behind the bar. With each panel a different color, the resulting mosaic is reminiscent of stained-glass motifs traditionally found in religious structures, creating colorful light patterns throughout the room, especially during the daytime. 

“The Philosopher’s Stone is central to the design of the space,” Jutras shared. The alchemy symbol of the Philosopher’s Stone is depicted in a large mural on one of the walls and in the iron work of the back bar. According to legend, the Philosopher’s Stone was a substance that could turn ordinary metals such as iron, tin, lead, zinc, nickel or copper into precious metals like gold and silver. It also acted as an elixir of life, with the power to cure illness, renew the properties of youth and even grant immortality to those who possessed it. “The use of this symbol represents Bitter Monk’s ambition to create something better than they ever thought they could.”

A large 12-foot by 7-foot window, directly adjacent to the bar and tasting room, offers a view into the laboratory/kitchen, allowing guests to witness “behind the scenes” in real-time, of what the production of their products entails.

Starting in April, Binikos and his team will begin the maceration process in their production laboratory space, with the goal of offering their products for sale by the bottle and for distribution by the Summer 2024.

ABOUT INDUSTRY CITY

Industry City is a 6 million-square-foot mixed-use complex comprised of 16 buildings on the waterfront in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The property’s ownership – led by Belvedere Capital, Jamestown and Angelo Gordon & Co. – is transforming the complex, while cultivating a diverse tenant mix that fuses today’s burgeoning innovation economy with traditional manufacturing and artisanal craft. To date, the transformation has included over $450 million of infrastructure improvements, the addition of destination courtyards, experience-driven dining, design retail and other amenitization and event programming. This work is paving the way toward a vibrant and diverse community made up of forward-thinking companies, thoughtful designers, and the next generation of artisans. www.industrycity.com.