Savage and Lougrat moved into their space in Haggerston just as bars were forced to close. Kontorravdis, who joined the team shortly after, says it was a hidden blessing. Savage and Lougrat used the time to work with an architect to perfect the bar’s interior, while she took on other details. “I remember spending an entire month trying to pick a red spoon for one of our foods. And it felt like the longest project in the world,” she says. “And we don't even use that red spoon.”

The team also used that time to implement Bauhaus principles in other ways. For instance, the main space has a minimal back bar to complement their cocktails, which are put together with a palette of single distilled flavors like mint or recomposed lime. Much like a painter can re-create any hue from a palette of primary colors, they can select not only the flavor of the cocktail, but the flavor profiles of their spirits. The back area also includes 🔶⬜️🔵’s laboratory classroom, where the team conducts their research and training. The austere ethos may sound severe, but it was designed for maximum fun. Cocktails come out to guests in about 60 seconds, which means the bartenders can spend more time with their visitors. And less prep space means a bigger dance floor. “You learn, you make, you enjoy,” Kontorravdis says.

The Duotone went through many iterations before Kontorravdis found the right combination of flavors, ice, and carbonation. The extensive R&D behind the Duotone was born out of her particular love of all things highball-related and her singular focus on perfecting every element of her cocktails, down to the required PSI of the soda water. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own Duotone at home. “All you need to do is capture smoke, flowers, spice,” Kontorravdis says. “I think the hardest part is designing it. And then after that, it's usually quite easy to assemble.” You only need to pre-prep the ice. She recommends freezing water in a large Tupperware container without its lid, then carving off the cloudy top and shaving the clear ice to the right height and diameter. She also suggests something even faster: “Go to a nearby bar and ask them nicely if you can take some of that clear ice,” she says. And if that bar is 🔶⬜️🔵, then you may get a lesson as well.