Inside Deluxx Fluxx, Detroit’s New Cocktail Bar, Arcade, and Arts Venue | Eater Detroit

"Opened in early August as a permanent installation in downtown Detroit’s Belt Alley, this 4,000-square-foot underground arcade bar and music venue transforms a once-underused storage space into a Blade Runner–like visual feast. Art duo Faile and collaborator Bast, working with Anthony Curis and Joe Robinson, covered the blacklight room and arcade with original prints and graffiti-style posters; the primarily black-and-white arcade features 12 custom games (including four pinball machines with Detroit-themed titles such as Zug Island Revenge and Eastern Market King) and 20 colorful carved tap handles made specifically for the site. Programmable lighting by Andi Watson and a back bar design that includes an inlaid stripe of light (inspired by The Shining) create an eerie, club-ready atmosphere for DJs, live bands, burlesque, karaoke and special events. The beverage program—developed by bartenders from Standby and The Skip along with Kyle Adam Thousand and Matt Bieke—centers on a custom draft tap system that dispenses ten prebatched cocktails to speed service during performances; examples include the Teasin & Pleasin (salted plum, bourbon, root beer), the Cold Morning (rye, pineapple, gochujang, cold brew coffee, spiced molasses), and a gin & tonic with lavender‑coriander tonic that glows under blacklight. Drinks run $9–$12, and the menu also offers nine beers (from Hamm’s to Brew Detroit’s Cerveza Del Ray) plus nonalcoholic seasonal sodas, root beer and kombucha." - Brenna Houck