Germans are reknowned around the world for their strict beer purity laws and their extensive beer culture including plentiful beer gardens and beer halls. One cocktail bar at a time, Berlin is working to shake that out-dated notion for this German city.
The bartender at Immertreu has very strong opinions on cocktails which you can clearly see in his facial expressions, especially his grimace when someone orders a fruity gin cocktail. It wasn’t us. He is also proud to show off his many coveted out-of-production or otherwise-rare bottles behind the bar. When the bar gets hopping, he has a friend stop by to help out. You need to ring a doorbell to get into Immertreu, but from the street, unlike many speakeasy’s, it’s very clear that it’s a bar and that you should come in. The tasty cocktails and low-key atmosphere are great, but it’s the personality behind the bar that keeps this place buzzing.
In contrast, Schwarze Traube is much more humble. You will only find a select set of premium liquors, 2 wines and 1 beer. The bar was hand-built out of some old wooden cabinets as a favor to the owners. The spirits are jumbled in with home-made bitters, infused liquors, and syrups to create the impression of a dark mad science lab. There are only 4 seats at the bar with a few other cushioned chairs in small groups to promote longer stays. If you’re looking for a menu, this isn’t the place. Instead, the bartender asks you what you like. You start with a base liquor like gin, then he follows up with flavor questions: “Do you like mint? Ginger?” Then the scientist gets to work.
But not all cocktail bars in Berlin are small and charming. Würgeengel fits at least 100 patrons and has a novel of a menu, but still remains true to mostly classic pre-1930s cocktails with a few modern takes thrown in like the basil gimlet. Just as many patrons order beer, wine and mixed drinks as cocktails. This is just as well because otherwise the wait for their well-prepared concoctions would be astronomical.
This is just the tip of the Berlin cocktail scene. New lists come out all the time about the best cocktail bars in Berlin, and they need to. Bars serving quality drinks open regularly, and each bar has its own personality – in Berlin, it’s often the bartender.