In a number of cocktail bars in the city, patrons will find all kinds of homemade essences bubbling away in the background. Dubbed “cuisine style”, the latest trend to sweep the capital’s bar scene has triggered a proliferation of homemade lemonades, infusions, syrups and liqueurs. DIY is back, and bartenders are doubling up as cooks.

Herb garden in a cocktail glass

The Bruder is a good example, a bar and bistro in one. Hubert Peter, an adventurous bartender, works here. Large preserving jars filled with pickled fruit, roots and home-made liqueurs are everywhere to be seen and in no way just for decoration. The cocktails with beetroot and horseradish are particularly cool. At Heuer am Karlsplatz, giant preserving jars also decorate a shelving wall. The house specialty is fruit syrups based on vinegar, so-called 'shrubs'. This bar specializes in vinegar-based fruit syrups known as shrubs. Its homemade preserves, syrups and essences are also used in the restaurant’s kitchens, while the herbs are picked fresh from the neighboring Karls Garten.

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Homage to Vienna

Bar staff tending a hot stove are only one aspect of Vienna’s new approach to mixology. Many bars are using local spirits to give their cocktails a special twist. By changing its recipe on multiple occasions over the years, Viennese vermouth producer Burschik (est. 1891) never grows old. For a number of years, Burschik's Vermouth has often been found on menus again – neat or in mixed drinks, including at the Heuer am Karlsplatz. Or at Dino's Apothecary Bar, where apothecary knowledge also flows into the excellent drinks and surprises the palate.

It’s not just products from Vienna that find their way into the capital’s cocktail glasses – the rest of the country has a part to play too. Fruit brandies and sweet dessert wines are also suitable for cocktails, both of which are Tür 7’s forte. Famous for preparing its own ingredients, this bar has a private living room atmosphere and prospective patrons should remember to make a reservation by phone. In a throwback to the days of prohibition, visitors have to ring the bell, speakeasy-style, before they can enter the premises.

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Vintage cocktails

A new generation of bartenders is revisiting the canon of classic cocktails. The recipes, some of which date back more than 100 years, are celebrating a comeback. Popular haunt Miranda Bar is among the places to pick up on this trend, serving long-forgotten cocktails – including numerous fizz mixes – in an inviting and contemporary atmosphere. Kleinod is another devotee of all things vintage, a theme that runs through its art deco interiors as well as its cocktails. It almost goes without saying that both of these bars make a lot of their ingredients themselves.

Aperitifs & bar food

Various bars have struck the perfect mix, proving that excellent food and excellent drinks are a match made in heaven. Roberto American Bar serves fantastic snacks with their cocktails. The cocktail bar Moby Dick offers not only excellent cocktails with home-made liqueurs, infusions, and bitters but also excellent bar food.

Text: Susanne Kapeller

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