It’s a question that the gods of Berlin’s bar scene, cocktail lovers and barflies, old-school tapsters and modern mixologists and all those who want to be one ask themselves every day. Berlin doesn’t sleep, and that certainly is true when it comes to its nightlife and the creativity of the local bar community.
“Let’s shake it!” is the motto again at this year’s international World Class Competition. The jury will be tough as ever when the next generation of creative bartenders as well as the old hands from the world of mixology strut their stuff with world class bartending skills. Round two has already begun! Contestants from more than 40 countries have entered their recipes for their very own personal World Class Cocktail.
Part of the game: Fabian Buhtz, Assistant Bar Manager at the sky.bar. His answer to the contest theme “Fruit & Plants” goes by the simple name of “Relaxing under a blossom tree”. It’s a cocktail that welcomes the second coming of spring (= summer) and which beguiles guests of the floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed bar with views over all of Berlin.
Sure, the standards are high. But our creative Buhtz keeps it simple. “The drink is a successful blend of tradition and creativity. It brings the bar in touch with cuisine – by the way it is prepared but also thanks to the ingredients that I use.”
Jinzu gin – part gin, part sake – gives the drink its unmistakable character. Together with cherry blossoms, cherry shrub, fruit acids, fresh lime juice, Grand Marnier as a sweet partner and agave nectar as an all-harmonizing force, this cocktail holds the promise of a refreshing, floral drink experience.
The bottom line: The incredible blend of ingredients makes this an extra-ordinary drink for the senses. But that’s not all! The presentation is every bit as out of the ordinary. The cocktail comes served in a French press – the source of the morning’s first coffee indulgence. Only in Berlin, where everything goes! We can only suspect that Berlin’s late-hour barflies begin their day at sundown with this special starter.
Will Fabian Buhtz be able to win over the jury? Will he shine brightly in the sea of contestants? We shall see during the finals in September 2016!
Until then let’s paint the town red and test all the ambitious creations from the competing bars. All you can drink - all you can shoot!
The best place to start a Berlin Bar Marathon is at Landsberger Allee 106, near Alexanderplatz, at the sky.bar of andel’s by Vienna House Berlin.
Follow the World Class Cup on: www.theworldclassclub.com/competition
#WORLDCLASS2016 #BerlinBlossom
58 responses to “How to Cocktail - How to be World Class?”