Thelonious Bar

Thelonious Bar

“Would you prefer the classic version or would you like me to surprise you?” We went out on a limb and trusted the bartender. In return, we got the best cocktail of our lives. It was an Old Fashioned – yes, really hard stuff – made with maple syrup instead of sugar and a particularly smoky single malt whiskey. Served in a round crystal tumbler and towered by a single, monolithic ice cube that turned this liquid composition into a geometric treat for the eyes. It tasted just like a warm summer night by the campfire at a lake somewhere in the middle of the woods. The Thelonius Bar in Berlin’s Weserstraße is one of those places one simply passes by too often. Barely noticeable it is hidden away between a falafel joint, loud pubs and (admittedly Neukölln’s best) Indian restaurant. Once inside, you’ll find an intoxicating atmosphere, people smoking, and – in proper style – jazz music playing in the background. And there’s no doubt about it, barkeepers here are professional (and not students): With a flourish and a twist of the wrist the whiskey is strained and poured into the shaker, the syrup runs down a 50cm long silver spoon, the glasses are all ice cold. Guests will be pleased to note that drinks are not watered down or otherwise messed around with. Mixing cocktails is an art and requires perfection. Every move is planned and is carried out by all three barkeepers with finesse and dedication even when no one is watching. If they were alone or in the dark, they would do it in exactly the same way because that is how it is done – unpretentious, pleasing and refreshingly good. If we didn’t know any better we’d think ourselves somewhere between East London and Williamsburg. But we are, in fact, in Berlin. And our cocktail straight from heaven cost us less than 10 Euros. We’ll be stopping by again soon. And then again. And again.
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Thelonious Bar | Weserstr. 202, 12047 Berlin | Mon.-Sun. 7 pm to 2 am | www.thelonius-bar.de | Photo: Ute Haufe
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Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 03. Februar 2016 | Tags: , , Keine Kommentare

Can drinking really be a sin?

MMW_DrinkSyndikat

Can drinking really be a sin?

Yes it can! And it is! Especially when it concerns cheap and nasty booze with a very high alcohol content mixed with an extremely sweet flavour enhancer as could be seen widespread and frequently in the past years. Without rhyme or reason the “well intentioned shot” thus turns into a disgusting sticky mixture somewhere between “sex on the beach” and “barfing in the pub toilet”. YUCK. Exactly! Thanks to bar mixer’s heaven the desire for quality in the consumption of alcoholic beverages appears to be widely increasing in the recent past. Meaning that everywhere classy bars are popping up in the big cities and provide growing numbers of discerning costumers with a gourmet choice in spirits. There is the BRYK Bar in Rykestraße for example, or the Booze Bar in Friedrichshain. Cocktails are allowed a price and Gin Tonic is not any Gin Tonic, long live the Green Fairy and all her disciples! The crowning glory for the solitary connoisseur or for communal consumption at home is now available from the Drink Syndikat. Selected spirits including a harmonious flavoured mixing beverage in wonderful packaging will be delivered to your home when signing up for a Premium Cocktail subscription. The small labelled bottles with instructions for mixing incredibly great cocktails are très chic to look at and one is inclined to leave them just as they are and only take the lid of the box for an occasional peek. That of course would be foolish, and so one begins to carefully mix the components, wondering if this is chemistry or just pure magic. The result is extreme enjoyment instead of simple boozing. We do recommend membership in the Syndikat without any reservation. May you enjoy it just as much as we did. And by the way, whilst we are in champagne – beg your pardon – cocktail mood, we are giving away a XYZ Box to the especially thirsty ones among you. Send an email titled LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT to
hurra@muxmaeuschenwild.de.

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Drink Syndikat – Premium Cocktail Subscription | drink-syndikat.de

 

Kategorien: Products | Autor: | Datum: 05. August 2015 | Tags: , , Keine Kommentare

Something phishy

Something phishy

This place in Karolinenviertel is posh, very posh. Food is served on Thursdays only and one dish only. But this is then prepared by none other than the people behind „Salt & Silver“, a cookbook combining breath-taking travel reports and mouth-watering recipes collected during a trip through South and Latin America. And at Kleines Phi is where the story continues, where real people are doing real things and putting their heart and soul into it. You can feel it and you can taste it. Be it at the Thursday nosh-ups or in form of delicious South American cocktail classics. We really had a great time and enjoyed our exchange of expertise with the lovely barman. Our new mantra: Thank God it’s Thursday!

 

Kleines Phi | Feldstr. 42, 20357 Hamburg | Tue-Sat, 7pm-3am (Thu from 5pm) | Facebook | Eventlink

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Kategorien: Hamburg | Autor: | Datum: 29. Juli 2015 | Tags: , , , , Keine Kommentare

Happyli ever after

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Happily ever after

Everybody knows it, everybody likes it, although nobody knows exactly why: The Märchenbrunnen (fountain of fairy tales). Even grown men get this dreamy look on their faces and are enchanted by the fairytale characters in this lovely corner of the Volkspark and turn into a tame softies. Let’s face it: Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White send us straight down memory lane and back to a time when children’s fantasies were part of reality, life was made of miracles and there was no daily routine. We still want to dream, we still want to believe. No matter how big, strong or evil you are, if a two year old hands you a toy phone, you’re going to answer it. Well, the fountain of fairy tales is no longer alone. Just across from the Märchenbrunne, the Fairytale Bar now takes us to the land of good and evil, happiness and horror and damn good drinks. With all the magic going on inside the Fairytale bar, it’s still all about enjoying exceptionally composed cocktails and long drinks. Come and sip on some magic potion, ease your mind and let your imagination go wild. If the phone rings and there’s no kid standing in front of you, just let it ring – you deserve it.
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Fairytales | Am Friedrichshain 24, 10407 Berlin | Facebook

Kategorien: Places | Autor: | Datum: 25. März 2015 | Tags: , , , Keine Kommentare