Booker and Dax at momofuku ssäm Cocktail Bar / Lounge

East Village, New York –

Centrifuges, hot pokers, and even a rotary evaporation unit are all commonplace at Booker and Dax, a mad scientist-meets-mixologist cocktail bar where both science geeks and the socially chic commingle.

Attached to the Michelin-approved momofuku ssäm restaurant, this tiny, seating room-only hotspot quickly garnered prestige for its complex libations, some of which require inserting a heated rod – primed to 1,500 degrees – before serving.

The rod apparently does some super cool scientific stuff to enhance flavor, but also causes the drink to erupt into flames, which probably leaves a few guests wondering if the wood-paneled walls are fireproof.

Subtle cage lights and ambient music wash over the hip and classy clientele as they relax on thick oak barstools or at one of the few available tables, while the staff details the latest daily creations or serves up popular standards like a gin and juice made with clarified grapefruit.

Employing instruments that look more suited for a science fair than a drinking den, bartenders mesmerize patrons by chilling glasses with liquid nitrogen, bringing drinks to life with on-the-spot carbonation, and mixing in exotic ingredients like distilled horseradish.

The seating-only policy keeps the place from ever getting too crowded, but Booker and Dax is full almost every night, so everyone from casual drop-ins to the top drink critics in the world might have to suffer a wait.

It’s worth it.