- The best cocktail bars stand out thanks to friendly, professional staff who care about their guests' wellbeing.
- Hygiene is a must for a good bar. If a bar is clean, you can assume the staff pays attention to other details too.
- Velvet, Jigger & Spoon, and Fragrances are among the 10 best cocktail bars in Germany.
- A good drink needs to be balanced and contain harmonious ingredients.
The best cocktail bars and great bartenders are the perfect mix for unforgettable taste experiences. Germany is home to countless cocktail bars with creative drink creations and stylish ambiance, run by talented bartenders. These true artists have a passion for cocktail-making that goes far beyond simply mixing spirits and juices. In our cocktail classes, you'll learn how to mix cocktails and discover a bartender's secrets.
What Makes the Best Cocktail Bars?
The best cocktail bars stand out especially because of the people who work there. When you can tell that someone genuinely cares about you and your wellbeing, you can also assume the drinks at that bar will be of high quality.
That's because bartenders who serve guests warmly and clearly enjoy their job put in the effort to make your bar experience as perfect as possible. There are a few other aspects that make the best cocktail bars stand out, too.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is a must for a good bar. The best cocktail bars follow top hygiene standards. If hygiene isn't up to par, you can expect that your wellbeing isn't the top priority — the money you bring in is.
Music That Isn't Too Loud
Good music doesn't just create a great mood in a cocktail bar — it also helps people feel comfortable in the space. It shouldn't be too loud, either, so people can still hold a conversation.
The Location
The type of venue is also hugely important for a positive experience in a cocktail bar. A few stools thrown together don't create a cozy atmosphere — they're more likely to put people off. Guests appreciate a space that's been put together with care, and they'll keep coming back for it.
Water with Your Drink
If a bar offers you water while you drink, it's a sign that the place cares about the enjoyment of the drinks, not just getting you to drink more. Dehydration, after all, is usually what really causes a hangover.
Responsible Bartenders
Skilled bartenders can not only mix a high-quality cocktail in just a few minutes, they'll also tell you when it's time to slow down. If a bartender encourages irresponsible drinking, your health clearly isn't their priority.
What Tricks Do Some Bartenders Use?
Cheap Ice Cubes
The ice a bar uses can be an indicator of the quality of its drinks. If a cocktail bar uses hollow ice cubes, the drink dilutes faster and loses quality as a result. A truly outstanding bar uses ice cubes that are double-frozen — meaning solid all the way through. This makes the ice melt more slowly, so you get to enjoy your drink longer.
Watering Down Drinks
To save on alcohol — and money — some bartenders add more water than necessary to cocktails, so the glass looks fuller and the alcohol can stretch across more drinks. So you might pay full price for a Cosmopolitan, for example, but actually get relatively little of the vodka that makes the drink so expensive in the first place.
The Never-Ending Pour
There are also a few tricks bartenders like to use while pouring drinks to give the impression that a generous amount of alcohol is being poured.
Traits of the Best Cocktail Bars and Outstanding Bartenders
What makes a good bar? | What makes a bad bar? |
|---|---|
Cleanliness | Dirtiness |
Good location | No effort put into the venue |
Friendly staff | Staff doesn't care about guests |
Good drinks with high-quality ingredients | Drinks with hollow ice cubes, watered-down drinks |
The 10 Best Cocktail Bars in Germany
1. The Kinly Bar, Berlin
The Kinly Bar in Berlin offers a unique and cozy atmosphere with creative drink creations and professional bartenders.
2. Velvet, Berlin
The Velvet cocktail bar in Berlin is known for its original creations and retro-futuristic design.
3. Le Lion Bar de Paris, Hamburg
Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg is one of the best cocktail bars in Germany and offers a wide range of classic cocktails as well as seasonal specialties.
4. Bar am Steinplatz, Frankfurt
Bar am Steinplatz in Frankfurt is famous for its modern creations and elegant atmosphere.
5. Jigger & Spoon, Stuttgart
Jigger & Spoon in Stuttgart serves innovative cocktails with a special touch thanks to the use of local ingredients. This bar definitely counts among the best cocktail bars in Germany.
6. Buck and Breck, Berlin
Buck and Breck in Berlin is a small, intimate bar known for its minimalist aesthetic and unique drink creations.
7. Fragrances, Berlin
Fragrances in Berlin is definitely one of the most extraordinary and best cocktail bars around. The bar offers a unique scent experience created by using perfume and essential oils in its cocktails.
8. Schumann's Bar am Hofgarten, Munich
Schumann's Bar am Hofgarten in Munich is a legendary bar that has been an institution in the German bar scene for 30 years, offering a wide range of classic cocktails.
9. Becketts Kopf, Berlin
Becketts Kopf in Berlin is a small, cozy bar known for its high-quality ingredients and carefully crafted cocktails.
10. Roomers Bar, Frankfurt
Roomers Bar in Frankfurt offers a luxurious atmosphere and a wide selection of classic cocktails as well as modern creations.
How Do You Recognize a Good Drink?
A good drink is, of course, different for everyone and entirely a matter of taste. But what generally makes a good drink is being able to taste the individual ingredients. It's important that the drink is properly balanced and that the ingredients harmonize with each other.
"The order of drinks plays an important role, since viscosity is key here." (Dominic, bartender and managing director at Die Krake in Munich)
If all you can taste is the alcohol, but not the herbs, juices, and other ingredients used, then your drink is ultimately just an alcohol blob that usually isn't very enjoyable.
Which Glasses Suit Which Cocktail?
Just like with people, appearance plays an important role in a perfect cocktail. When a drink is beautifully garnished and served in the right cocktail glass, it looks even more special and appealing.
Types of Cocktail Glasses
- Highball glasses are used for Cuba Libres, mojitos, and gin and tonics, and owe their elegance to their straight, tall shape.
- Balloon glasses are used for eye-catching, colorful cocktails like piña coladas, thanks to their rounder shape.
- Tumblers are the classic cocktail glass, used for spirits like whisky, caipirinha cocktails, and sours.
- The martini glass, with its timeless design, suits a wide range of drinks: daiquiri, White Russian, Manhattan, and of course the martini itself.
A truly great bartender knows which glass lets a cocktail reach its full potential. But it's not just about looks — the taste of a cocktail can also be affected by the glass used. Rounder glasses, for example, are perfect for bringing out a drink's aromas in the best way. So appearance also plays a role in the quality of the drink, and every good bartender knows how to make cocktails shine. You can learn more about this at tastings, which introduce you to the flavor notes of spirits, wine, and beer.
Bartender Secrets — Now You Know What to Look For
We hope these tips have helped, and that from now on you'll only experience high-quality cocktail bars and cocktails. To really understand what makes a cocktail good or not, it's always worth taking a cocktail class. Then you'll be able to instantly tell whether the bar you're in meets the right quality standards.
