A night in New York – on Lake Attersee!

New York’s cocktail culture takes the Salzkammergut by storm

New York bar flair just round the corner

Beneath the dark wooden ceiling, Times Square towers over the bar; fine spirits are displayed before the mirror; upholstered bar stools and seating areas invite you to relax; pleasant bar music plays from the speakers; cigar smoke hangs in the air; and the barman serves up the very best you could wish for, whilst also being open to requests for drinks not on the menu. Keep an eye out for the exclusive décor, which is particularly high-quality and luxurious. That sounds like a special bar with a New York atmosphere. But why fly to New York when this flair can be found just around the corner? Yes, this elegant American bar is located in the Salzkammergut, right on Lake Attersee – our New York Bar!

Add to that professionally trained bartenders, a wide selection of exquisite cocktails, an exceptional cocktail menu organised by season, and an elegant ambience that transports you straight to New York City. If you want to enjoy a cocktail in the finest surroundings, then this is definitely the place to be! If Humphrey Bogart were still alive, he’d probably love to pop in and enjoy a few drinks. But why New York, exactly?

Markus Winzer, who runs this exceptional bar at the Hotel Winzer, knows why: “New York is the birthplace of cocktail and bar culture! This is where drinks like the Bloody Mary, Manhattan and Cosmopolitan were invented.”

The birthplace of cocktail culture

The word ‘cocktail’ originated around 1800 in the English-speaking world and was a term for a mixed drink made from spirits, sugar, water and bitters. This definition comes from a New York newspaper dated 1806. There was a simple reason why spirits were served in this way: the spirits of the time were far too strong and could hardly be enjoyed neat. Cocktails were thus invigorating alcoholic drinks, whose popularity began on the East Coast between New York, Boston and Albany. Drinking cocktails in the morning was not at all unusual in the USA until the end of the 19th century and was even publicly promoted. Perhaps this is where the name comes from, as a breakfast cocktail was apparently intended to act like a rooster’s crow. There are many other rumours surrounding the origin of the name, but none of them are truly substantiated.

A book by Jerry Thomas, ‘How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon Vivant’s Companion’, published in 1862, is regarded as the first cornerstone of today’s cocktail culture and brought the profession of the bartender great prestige and a professional standard.

Aviation – a classic cocktail from New York

In keeping with the theme of our New York Bar, we would like to introduce a classic cocktail with New York roots. The Aviation is a high-flyer among cocktails and likely owes its name to its violet-silver hue, which was reminiscent of the sky at that time. Its history dates back to 1916. At that time, Hugo Ensslins, of German origin, was working as a bartender at the Wallick Hotel in Times Square, New York. It is likely that he invented the cocktail there and published the recipe in his book ‘Recipes for Mixed Drinks’.

By the mid-20th century, the cocktail had almost completely fallen into oblivion, partly because one of the ingredients (violet liqueur) was omitted from later books and was scarcely produced anymore. Since then, the Aviation has been reinstated on the list of official cocktails by the International Bartenders Association as an unforgettable drink. And rightly so, for it has a light, airy aroma – perfect for a heavenly evening...

Today, an "Aviation" is usually mixed as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 parts gin
• 1 part lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/2 part Crème de Violette (violet liqueur)
• 2/3 part maraschino liqueur

Preparation:

Once the ingredients have been mixed to taste, the drink is shaken (or sometimes stirred) with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker to bring out its characteristic colour. It is then strained through a bar strainer into a pre-chilled cocktail bowl and served without ice. Sometimes served with a cocktail cherry in the glass. Cheers!

You can find more pictures from our "New York Bar" on our Facebook page – New York Bar on Facebook

written by Christian Messmer