Refuel please!

Bar manager David Bandak opens a barrel

Instead of luxury limousines, this garage is home to probably the "wackiest" bar Zurich has ever had: the Widder Garage in Augustiner Hof 1 will be the temporary home of the legendary Widder Bar for the next 6 months, which is currently being renovated. Experimental bar manager David Bandak has added trendy new creations to the bar menu for the trendy off-location and reveals what guests at the Widder Garage can look forward to.

Drinks made from wood: With his sure instinct for new influences in the international bar scene, Bandak takes up the theme of "barrel-aged cocktails" and brings out amazing flavor nuances in his six new drinks made from wood. The "Barrel Aged Cocktails" by the 31-year-old Swiss by choice are matured to perfection in oak barrels. Oak, as a pure wood without resin channels, is particularly suitable: on the one hand, no undesirable aromas are released from the wood into the fresh distillate, and on the other, the wood is able to "breathe", which is essential for the maturation of the spirits it contains. "Barrel ageing increases the complexity of the cocktail, giving it more fragrance, finesse, color, tannins and other aromas," explains David Bandak. Classic gentleman's drinks such as the "Hanky Panky" or "Vieux Carré", which are mixed exclusively with high-proof and spicy ingredients such as herbal liqueur and vermouth, are given a special intensity and character through barrel ageing. (Barrel Aged Cocktails: 18 - 22 CHF)

David Bandak shakes, stirs, refines and perfects: his new highballs are very popular with guests at the Widder Garage. Aromatic, fresh, fruity and invigorating - the simple appearance of the tall tumblers conceals a multitude of taste experiences. Bandak's "Aries Inferno", for example, is a sophisticated mix of pear schnapps, lavender and cherry blossom tonic, while "Rumble in the Jungle" (gin, cucumber, pepper, chili and rosemary tonic) seduces with its piquant spiciness. (Highballs: 14 - 18 CHF).

Bandak's new bar menu has creations for every occasion. His "New Style Cocktails" offer unconventional, aromatic nuances that are not found in this form in every bar. The "Blues in the Night" lives up to its name with extravagant ingredients: signature gin from Turicum in the limited edition for the Widder Garage, Earl Grey tea, red vermouth, black truffle and smoked wood (CHF 25). Adequate vitamin intake is also provided: the name "Dead Rabbit" conceals healthy ingredients such as carrot, lime and passion fruit - but also a splash of five-year-old Havana rum.

www.widderhotel.com/essen-trinken/widder-garage