The World's Best Bar Women and Men - Europe and Asia
The Second in a Two-Part Series
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| It takes a lot of hands to make a Cocktail. Hautvilliers, Champagne Region, France I hope you will have read the introduction to Part I of this series. |
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| The Bon Accord - Glasgow |
Incredibly, I did not get this gentleman's name. A young man. We had been directed to this pub, which I believe is one of the oldest in Glasgow and most famous – pondering what to order for myself - Scotch (this is Scotland, after all). I was curious as to what they might make my girlfriend as a cocktail. I went up to the barman - he was very polite. I asked him, could he make a cocktail? He said to me …
"It's a Whiskey Bar!"
I will never forget that experience. He was quite nice about it; my wife had a glass of wine and I enjoyed my Scotch as we enjoyed the environment of this pub. Part of the "Whiskey Trail".
Sarah & Marie, The Little Red Door Le Marais, Paris (No need to tell you the country!)
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| The Little Red Door |
These women really worked hard and well together, behind the bar. This is a bar where you can order their special that day, named after different countries around the world. Or you could ask them to create something for you; just name an ingredient, as my girlfriend did. Brazen as she is, says she, “Masticha”. A Greek liqueur made from mastic. Not well known, nor easily found. Sure enough, when it comes time for them to create her drink, we look over at the bar and there the “femme barman”, she is climbing over this huge ice machine on top of a counter and then reaching up to the very top shelf, behind everything else, pulling out a bottle of Masticha. (You know, I really felt she might fall on her journey.) In many cases, someone else, an average bartender, would have said “I'm sorry, we don't have that.” She did not. Very impressive!
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| Sarah? Or is it Marie? |
Tomas Bobinek, Cotto Crudo Bar Four Seasons Prague, Czech Republik
A very impressive young man. Looking to travel, too. I think either Brazil, Mexico or Cuba for the international bartender's competition. He created 2 drinks for us, taught me how to make foam without using egg whites and asked me, upon learning we were going to München, "Well, are you going to see Schumann?” I had not intended to, but after this thoughtful presentation and by a knowledgeable barman, I made a mental note to go see Schumann in München.
Kevin, The Alchemist Strasbourg, France
“The shot of a liqueur is so intense,” he said, referring to the Jägermeister. You think about that for a minute and then it gives you a better understanding. Another impressive soul. He created a very special drink, Fleur du Mal - Venice. An enjoyable evening in this very lovely French town. Or is it a German town?
Iris and Head Barman, the Ritz Carlton Wien, Austria
This was our first experience with Feuerzangenbowle. Iris, the Lobby Bar Manager, introduced us to their Head Bar Man. The only one authorized to make Feuerzangenbowle*. A delightful pair they were, entertaining us that evening. As is customary, Austrian stoic, professional, and yet taking the time to introduce you to how to make this beverage.
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| Feuerzanganbowle Party Wien Ritz Carlton |
*yes, 160 proof. You are forbidden to carry it on the plane!
Iris Blindl, The Oval Dublin City, Republic of Ireland
Just around the corner from the O’Connell Street Post Office with its “Easter Uprising” bullet holes. Want to see a bar under pressure? Want to see two professionals at work, I mean hard at work? Then try the Oval Bar in Dublin City, at the conclusion of the Saint Patrick's Day parade. The consummate bouncer at the door made sure we were out of the rain and in line to get into The Oval. And it was truly an experience to be able to get in. Even more of an experience to enjoy a Bushmill Black and a red wine from this pair covering the bar that day. Reminder, it's St. Paddy’s Day, just after the parade, with rain.
Bar High Five, Teru and Kauriand Tokyo, Japan
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| Bar High Five Ginza District of Tokyo |
This was quite a unique experience, and I'm not talking about visiting Japan. Which in and of itself was unique. But this bar is one of the best in the world. One of the Top 50. There's not a menu. They come to you and they ask you,
Stacy of the Guinness Storehouse Dublin City, Irish Republic 
We were at the Guinness Storehouse. And because of my confusion with the language, I misunderstood that you couldn't get a Guinness downstairs, but you could get it upstairs. You couldn't get food upstairs, but you could get it downstairs. Maybe it's an Irish bar thing. So, as we went through the line downstairs and I sought out a Guinness, I expressed my dismay to the lady that I had already come downstairs to eat. And there was no Guinness. How disappointing, I said in my sometimes emphatic manner. About 5 minutes later, the young lady, Stacy, all of 22 years old- maybe less, stands before me and says, “Here. I did not want you to be disappointed in the Guinness Storehouse experience”. Well, it almost brought me to tears. I think it did bring me to tears. It's bringing me to tears now. She had gone all the way up 6 flights of stairs, retrieved for me a Guinness, brought it down to me. Didn't present me with a bill. And wished me to have a good experience at the Guinness Storehouse. It is one of my more memorable experiences at the Guinness Storehouse.
Bert’s Jazz Bar, Mark and Lucy Martin Belfast, Ulster
We weren't intending to go to Bert's. I was lost in Belfast. My home city just North of my mother's Village of Rathfriland, County Down. Wandering around, we did not find the Irish pub I was looking for. But fortunately for us, we looked up and there, at the back of the Merchant Hotel, was a sign on the door that said, “Bert's Jazz Bar”. Well, we couldn't pass that up. We went in. Lucy Martin was so polite in giving us a cozy seat at the back. And it was fairly close to where her Hostess Stand was. So, we struck up a conversation. Next thing I know, I'm being introduced to Mark at the bar. Mark is making a special drink just for me, Lucy says. "Let's take the drink and let me give you a tour of the other 3 bars - the Champagne Lounge, The Cloth Ear Pub and The Cocktail Bar" she says to me. We had a delightful evening kibitzing with Mark, talking about different terminology we use. At the bar, one of the things I always remember is he told me about cocktails that he refers to as “sillies”. I didn't understand; he said, you know, a gin and tonic. That's a “silly cocktail”. This coming from a man whose profession is creating and making exquisite cocktails. The Merchants Hotel in Belfast and Bert's Jazz Bar are not to be missed.
Palomino Smokehouse, Damien Belfast, Ulster
I was quite taken with Damien's customer service. I told him that I was looking for something different. In the whiskey venue. He asked me to come over; he wanted to show me how he prepares the glass for a dram of whiskey. I watched. He proceeded to tell me that he first adds a little hot water into the glass - a refined whiskey glass. And then after warming the glass up, he cleans it with a towel, drying the interior and polishing the outer part of the glass. And then he pours a dram of whiskey. Lunch that afternoon went on just like that. It was quite a nice hour or two. Then he kindly steered us toward his favorite pub in Belfast.
Brazen Head, Steve Wilson Dublin City, Irish Republic
Never. Ever. Go to Dublin on Saint Patrick's Day for the parade and the festivities that follow. Wee into the morning or late into the early next morning we witnessed the party revelry continued - 3 young women walking from one Pub to the next.
Friends had recommended the Brazen Head, which I understood to be the oldest pub in Dublin. We went, it was packed. During our stay, mentioning to one young gentleman's Irish cap with Green and White on his head. And how much I admired it - he takes it off, hands it to me and says, “here, now it is yours”. Consider it your lucky cap. “You might get lucky”, as he winks at my girlfriend. In the meantime, Steve Wilson's running around the bar trying to find something unique that I might not have tried elsewhere in Ireland. And that is a tough call. After going to two of the other bars, or sections in the pub, he brings out Writer's Tears Copper pot distilled, 100 barley. Steve says,
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| The Brazen Head Pub Dublin |
Writers Tears, enjoyed it since. I was impressed with Steve. More than just a barman. Impressed that Steve Wilson had taken the time, as packed as the bar was. Music playing, people standing room only and the guy goes around hunting for something unique that I might not have tried elsewhere in Ireland. And that is a tough call. You can't ask for something better from a bar man.
Unknown Bar Man, Bon Appetit Kyoto Japan
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| Bon Appetit Speakeasy Hidden Bar |
It wasn't our conversation, as there was very little, as much it was the ambience and the demeanor of the bar man that impressed me so much about this bar. This was a hard place to find; actually, I didn't find it, I stumbled upon it. We were walking back from having dinner at a little Japanese “diner". I think our dinner cost all of $7.00 and that included the beer that I had. We of course shared the meal. On the way back, I took a shortcut along a smaller road, almost an alley, so to speak. To my left was a gray wall, either concrete or possibly some sort of gray stone. There with a small cutout window, lighted, with this sign in it that said Bon Appetit. I thought, this is kind of interesting. I knocked on the door. No one answered. I opened the door. A Japanese man stood behind the bar; he smiled, didn't say a word. Frankly, I don't think he spoke English, it was pretty much a Japanese bar. And as best I can tell, it was a Speakeasy bar; you either knew you were going to it, or you didn't know about it. As I recall, it was a very enchanting evening …. in a very enchanting city …. in a very enchanting country. Off of Oshikoji-dori and Aburanokoji-dori.
I doubt this will be the end of great experiences in the bars and pubs of the world. So stay tuned.
