SepAnx for Bank? Keep a Piece of the Legacy With This Cocktail

For many regulars, Bank Bar’s impending closure feels like losing a third space—the kind that made the workday tolerable and the city feel briefly charmed. In lieu of a final round, Bank’s head bartender Dickenson Olivades—Aki to friends and loyal patrons—offers something better than nostalgia: a recipe you can take home.

When Bank Bar opened a decade ago in RCBC Tower, discreetly hidden behind what looked like a utilitarian storefront, it already understood the appeal of secrecy. You didn’t stumble into Bank; you planned for it. Reservations were currency, and a seat at the bar became a quiet marker of taste. Its clientele ranged from finance lifers unwinding after market close to politicians, celebrities, and even visiting heads of state. Prestige aside, what kept people coming back was precision—drinks that never missed.

The Pineapple Silk was one of those quietly perfect cocktails: elegant, balanced, and deceptively easy to drink.

Pineapple Silk

Ingredients

• 45 ml Hennessy VSOP

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• 4 mint leaves, lightly bruised

• 15 ml yuzu juice

• 10 ml lemon juice

• 15 ml pineapple oleosaccharum reduction

To serve

• Lowball glass, large ice cube

• Garnish: dried pineapple wedge, pink peppercorns

Method

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double strain into a chilled lowball glass over a large ice cube. Garnish.

Yuzu can be elusive; a mix of equal parts grapefruit and mandarin juice offers a convincing substitute. To make pineapple oleosaccharum, toss freshly diced pineapple with equal parts sugar, let sit overnight, strain, then reduce the liquid gently for 30 minutes.

Speakeasies are a young industry, and permanence was never the promise. Still, as Bank Bar closes its doors, this drink offers a small act of continuity. Raise a glass to the team, to what they built—and to the nights that linger, even after last call.

Bank Bar, in a post on December 18, announced that it will be closing its doors:

"Ten years ago, we opened a secret door that led to countless cocktail-filled evenings. We set out to create a hidden sanctuary that felt both exclusive and alive. While it is the end of an era, reaching this milestone feels like the natural point to conclude the Bank Bar story. Thank you for being the most essential part of an unforgettable decade. Cheers to you, and all the tipples we shared here together.

Banking hours will end Dec 27, 2025."

Bank Bar is located at RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center, 26th and 25th Street, Taguig. It's at the back of a 7-11.

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