A toast to Admiralsbar
Exciting news from Germany arrived last week when Helmut Adam of Mixology revealed that Admiralsbar has finally opened its doors. Part of the large Admiralspalast theatre in the Mitte district of Berlin, Admiralsbar has suffered a number of set backs owing to construction problems but with those problems overcome the small bar, set apart from the larger 500-capacity Admiralsclub next door, is now serving absinthe, Champagne and classic cocktails under the expert direction of Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro.
Though the bar wasn’t open when I visited Berlin last October I was treated, along with the other guests at the Traveling Mixologists party, to a sneak preview of the space and even unfinished the bar was beginning to look incredible. Filled with period absinthe fountains and beautifully lit in green hues that carry on the homage to the green fairy, I’m sure Admiralsbar looks absolutely wonderful now finished, and I eagerly await my next trip to Berlin so I can pay a visit!
To celebrate the opening I dug in to the recipe list Gonçalo sent me some time ago and ended up making the first drink on the list, and indeed the drink he credits as his first own creation – the Paperol. As with several of Gonçalo’s drinks like the Beuser & Angus Special and Le Coquetiez du Lion the cocktail takes what might be considered a fairly common mixture of ingredients but inverts the ratios creating a drink that confounds expectations to delicious effect.
Paperol
- 1½ shots / 45 ml / 1½ oz Aperol
- ½ shot / 15 ml / ½ oz lime juice
- ½ shot / 15 ml / ½ oz dry gin
- 1/6 shot / 5 ml / 1/6 oz Cointreau
- Shake well with ice and fine strain in to a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange zest twist.
Fresh and punchy with a bright orange flavour, the Paperol vaguely recalls drinks like the Pegu Club, but with a lighter tone that really works to the drinks credit. However while light the subtle bitterness of the Aperol provides an edge to the drink assuring it doesn’t become too plain or boring. An excellent drink to refresh the palate and begin an evening, and a perfect way to toast the beginning of a new bar!
Best wishes to Gonaçalo and the rest of the Admiralsbar crew on their new venture. I hope to be able to come visit soon…
Posted in Aperol, Curaçao & Triple Sec, Gin, Lime, Recipes
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December 8th, 2009 at 1:13 am
GREAT DRINK… all the best to Admiralsbar …
December 8th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Looks like I have to make a trip to Berlin soon!
December 19th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Thank you very much, Sir. Hope to have you as a guest soon.