Top Dog Cocktails is giving Philadelphians a new way to sip. The local ready-to-drink cocktail brand is pairing craft cocktails with vinyl records through a new listening room concept: Top Dog Vinyl.
Owned by Ken Smukler, Top Dog Vinyl will debut this fall in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood and Kennett Square. Smukler told Whatnow Philadelphia Top Dog Cocktails holds a limited Pennsylvania distillery license, allowing the brand to open satellite locations.
The brand launched in 2022 and has sold more than 1 million canned craft cocktails in its first three years. The ready-to-drink cocktail brand distributes its 12.5% ABV beverages in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida.
The vinyl bar draws inspiration from Japan’s kissa bars, intimate listening spaces created in the 1920s and 1930s for jazz enthusiasts.
“This is really a homage to that, the kissa concept. It’s about high fidelity. It’s about representing the music. It’s kind of the analog move in a digital world, to try and get back to a simpler audio experience, interpersonal experience, and cocktail experience all at the same time,” Smukler said.
The Fishtown location will occupy the former 350-square-foot Chase Bank ATM space at 2012 Frankford Ave.
“It’s ground zero for our demographic, which is a young adult professional consumer, alcohol consumers, but they live in an alcohol desert [meaning limited spots to get a 4-pack of RTD cocktails],” he said.
The Kennett Square location will open beneath the live entertainment venue The Flash.
“I thought it would be cool to have a tasting room right below the live entertainment venue so there would be a synergy between the music upstairs and what we’re doing downstairs,” Smukler said.
The 15-seat spaces will replicate the black-and-white interiors of traditional kissa bars with a modern twist.
“It’s going to have a more intimate vibe. There’s amber, there’s going to be a little neon play into it. A lot of mirrors, but mirrors done by a local artist. We’ve made it more of an Americanized version,” he said.
Top Dog Vinyl will feature music across all genres, not just jazz. The bar also plans to host DJ nights and curate playlists based on guests’ preferences.
Beyond cocktails and music, the team is developing a small-plates menu.
Smukler plans to partner with nonprofits.
“In Kennett Square, we’re teaming up with the nonprofit that runs The Flash to control the downstairs for the nonprofit. They could put a music school program in there during the day, or in the evening it can be the green room for the acts. I’ve also opened this idea in Fishtown up to WXPN,” he said.
The team looks forward to bringing the new concept to the city.
“The excitement is in seeing whether a first-mover concept of a kissa bar will actually work. I think it will, but the excitement is to try and put it together in a way where it becomes that magical experience,” Smukler said.
Top Dog Vinyl plans to soft open in September, with future locations planned for Manayunk and Conshohocken.
