July 28, 2026
Provided Image/Top Dog Cocktails
Top Dog Cocktails is planning to open a small vinyl listening room and cocktail tasting site at 2012 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown, shown in the rendering above.
Top Dog Cocktails will open new storefronts in Philadelphia and Chester County this fall, but don't expect its drinks to be the only focus.
The stores — one in Fishtown and the other in Kennett Square — each will include rooms where customers can listen to vinyl records while enjoying the company's signature 12.5% ABV craft cocktails. Bottle retail service also will be available.
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Founder Ken Smukler said his goal is to create small, intimate spaces where people can discover new music. He already is looking to expand the company to Manayunk and Conshohocken.
"In a world where almost everything has become digital, we wanted to create spaces that celebrate the beauty of analog experiences," Smukler said in a statement. "Vinyl has a way of bringing people together, and we wanted to pair that with great cocktails and a one-of-a-kind listening experience."
The Fishtown store will open at 2012 Frankford Ave., a site that formerly housed a Chase Bank ATM. It will serve as the flagship location for the concept.
About 15 people can fit on the store's 350-square-foot first floor, which will serve as the bar and bottle shop. The main listening room will be located in the site's basement, which offers another 350 square feet of space that can fit around 20 people.
In Kennett Square, a similar, 750-square-foot bar and listening space will open at 110 E. State St.
Top Dog Cocktails did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the specific timelines for the stores' openings.
The company, established in Philadelphia four years ago, specializes in ready-to-drink craft cocktails produced in Pennsylvania. It offers nine mixed drink variations including margaritas, espresso martinis and whiskey lemonades that are available at hundreds of bottle shops, liquor stores and bars in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Top Dog also is a vendor at Ridge Hall in Ambler and has a 2,500-square-foot distillery in Kennett Square. The company predicts it will sell 28,500 cases in 2026, a 63% increase from its final sales last year, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.
Vinyl listening spaces are being considered the brand's "next evolution," a company spokesperson said.
