Sara Tomko & Alice Wetterlund Give Us a Behind-the-Scenes Bar Tour of Resident Alien's The 59

When you think of places an apocalyptic alien would hang out, a neighborhood bar in a Colorado mountain town doesn’t jump to mind. Could The 59 bar in the series Resident Alien get any cozier? Even Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk), the undercover alien we’ve grown to love through two seasons (and an ongoing third), sometimes needs a warm welcome and a comfy bar stool.

Now that we're back in patience, SYFY WIRE is excited to provide a behind-the-scenes tour of The 59 bar led by actors and real-life friends Sara Tomko (Asta Twelvetrees) and Alice Wetterlund, who plays D’arcy Bloom, the series' “resident bartender” who slings shots of Wild Turkey with the best of them.

For More on Resident Alien:
What We Know about Mizar-Alcor, the Home of Resident Alien's Harry Vanderspeigle
Resident Alien Star Alan Tudyk's 9 Best Genre Roles, from Serenity to Star Wars
Watch Hilarious Resident Alien Stars Sara Tomko & Alice Wetterlund Goof Off Ahead of Season 3

If you’ve ever wondered what real-life bar the filmmakers use (and when you can visit it the next time you're in Colorado), we’ve got news: The 59 is a set! And even more earth-shattering news: the series is shot in Vancouver, Canada. The set is so realistic you’d be forgiven for booking a flight to the fictional town of Patience, Colorado.

What exactly comes out of the tap at The 59?

Resident Alien Season 2, Episode 15: "Best of Enemies." Photo: SYFY

In the tour, Wetterlund shows Tomko around the bar where many of her scenes take place and reveals how Resident Alien’s art directors and production team have outdone themselves with their attention to real-life details. When they step behind the counter into the bartender’s zone, we’re delighted to find out it has an actual functioning tap and fridges stocked with beer under the counter — full disclosure: the drinks are all water.

Tomko, who seemed skeptical, cracked open a beer to confirm. With all that water around, Wetterlund astutely observes, “It’s a good place to hide out if there’s ever an apocalypse,” which is always a concern on Resident Alien. 

All the details that make The 59 so realistic

Next time you’re watching the show, keep an eye out for fun details like fake money and photos of bar patrons taped above a realistic-looking point-of-sale system — and beer cans with creative names, like Dead Canary. We’re also treated to an up-close look at a mint vintage jukebox, and fans of the show can spy what artists might be playing in the background of Resident Alien bar scenes (shout out to Cher!).

When the actresses lead us to the bathrooms, we’re half-expecting a terrifying little alien to jump out of the toilet. One of the bathrooms is built as a full set, complete with removable parts to accommodate various scenes and scenarios — though it doesn’t have a working toilet!

Wetterlund recalls the memorable pregnancy test scene in the bar’s bathroom with Meredith Garretson (Kate Hawthorne), before the actresses move back to the bar to joke around and shoot some pool. With the impending alien invasion and ensuing Armageddon, we really can’t think of a better way to pass the time.

New episodes of Resident Alien premiere on SYFY every Wednesday. New episodes will be available the next day on Peacock.

Catch up on all of Resident Alien on Peacock.