Mai 2010

(Taking a break from his tour of Berlin’s best bars, Jared finds something else that is just as good…a trip to one of Berlin biggest bar conventions…)

I am sure as many of you readers out there have started to notice the I like to drink. So twice a year in Berlin there are two bar convetions. The first one took place on the 4^th of the 5^th of May this year and the second one is coming on the 4 and 5^th of October.

This last week I went with my fellow bar tender Christian to the bar zone. We woke up much earlier than any bar tender should have to and by 10:30 in the morning we were standing outside getting prepared for the day. I would like to add one reason out of many I much prefer the BCB run my mixology is that they listen to their readers and the convention starts at 12:00. A much more human hour to wake up for.

Anyway we checked in at the door got our badges and away we went. We had a a lot of business to get done on this day. This is a ba tenders code word for we need to do a lot of drinking but tell the bosses we were working hard. But don’t tell my boss please! One of main goals of the days was to find  Pisco de Oro the brand we choose for our new cocktail menu. The first stand we saw was this one so we jumped over to speak with Ana Rosa and by a quarter to eleven I had drunk 2 different types of pisco. What a start to the day! I know had to full shots on an tired empty stomach. Well that’s how these things go.

Next stop was a new Korn product on the market made in Berlin. The bottle was stripped down and very simple but eleganat but what caught my attention was the fact it was made in Berlin. I had look at the 1000 limited edtion bottles each numberd and out poped the representative for the company. Of course I had to try the product. It was very unentertaining much like vodka is but its made in Berlin it’s a cool bottle and what I liked even better was the price. So if anybody is looking for a gift just contact me and I am sure I can organize you a bottle.

So now with 3 shots in my belly getting close to 11 we took a small break had a look around and after that I got a bit thirsty again. I saw one of the bar tenders I have known for a few year Jacob from Stagger Lee working in the Borco stand. We greeted each other and he then kindly offered us a drink. Now it was time to get serious and have a real drink.

Jacob, being the excellent bar tender that he is, pumped us out drinks with nothing but the finest mixing spoon, mixing glass and jiggers that a bartender would like to have. His zests were perfect and filled the air with the smell of fresh citros and orange. It was one of the best drinks I have had in a long time. But I can’t for the lift of me remember what the hell was in it. Thanks Jacob and readers keep your eyes out because Stagger Lee is on the list for Mr. Goldmans bar tour.

We took another little break to watch some guy doing latte art but I was just not thinking about coffee anymore. We found another little bar stand that looked very inviting. We tried a few new rums one of which I must have for the hotel, and decided to have a cocktail. The bar man offered me one of his chocolate cocktails with a 25 year old rum and I was very disappointed. Christain ordered a rum manhattan and even that lacked the passion. The rum was good but I think that company better get a better representative.

Now I was in pretty much auto pilot mode and couldn’t really see properly at this point so we decided wehad  better take a beer break. Veltins dressed some girls up real nice and were kind to put some beers on ice for us so we had a beer and planned the attact for the rest of the day. The plan was back to Ana Rosa for pisco cocktail and then home.

We some how got stopped at another stand to try cachaca. One that was really not fitting to me but the bar man made us a drink and the drink was very nice. That is my way of saying I got no idea how it tasted at this point. He then went on to make a caipi for Christian but it was so bad that we told him we could not drink it.

By then we were ready to get out of there. But we went back to our friends at Pisco de Oro and finished the long hard day of work with a pisco basil smash. I couldn’t really taste the basil and wasn’t sure the bar man had any idea of what was going on but still I drank it with a smile on my face. I slightly remember drinking a pisco sour after that or maybe I just made that up!

Anyway that was our day I was in bed by 20:00 and was fit for another day in the office. Thanks to everyone we meet at Bar Zone and I am looking forward to the BCB in October.

Mr. Goldman over and out

The Bar Zone Website