Bar am Steinplatz - Interview with bar manager Willi Bittorf

“If someone had told me a few years ago that my first menu would be completely alcohol-free, I would have given them the finger.” Instead, Willi prefers to show the alcohol-free menu, or rather the small works of art that are placed on the tables of the Bar am Steinplatz The sophistication of his non-alcoholic drinks, the attention to detail and the crazy names of his creations almost knock us off our (bar) stools.

We are guests of Willi Bittorf in the Bar am Steinplatz . Germany's first hotel bar with an alcohol-free signature menu, featuring drinks such as Let's talk about champagne, baby and A winning horse named Julip find.

But more on that later. When you hear the word hotel bar, you might think of sprawling leather armchairs, a piano player, ties and rather unimaginative spirits on ice? Apart from the chic leather armchairs, none of that applies here. In the Bar am Steinplatz , around the corner from the lively Savignyplatz in western Berlin, you can take a seat in your sneakers. The team around bar manager Willi focuses on the fun of good drinks and the casual, friendly atmosphere. Upscale and at the top level, and far from stiff and aloof. Launched in summer 2020, the new bar menu was only four months old.

“We give people who can't or don't want to drink alcohol the opportunity to have an awesome experience - that's what counts.”
Willi knows all about great experiences. He is 32 and after a classic restaurant apprenticeship, he has developed a taste for the bar world “with the cool guys behind the bar”. He has explored the world of spirits in the Shangri-La in London, the Regent Berlin and the Waldorf Astoria. Now he is the new bar manager of the Hotel am Steinplatz and responsible for the disruptive, eye-catching map.

It was clear to him that he wanted to do something very special. A strong concept for a renowned bar that has been named "Hotel Bar of the Year" several times and won the Bar Award from Mixology. He has Germany's first hotel bar with an alcohol-free signature menu, which a year ago featured ten clear drinks that all looked the same. Willi tells us how much tinkering is necessary to conjure up creations that impress with sophistication and depth as exciting alternatives to classic drinks.

How are Non-alcoholic drinks with you?
"The approach is exactly the same as with alcoholic cocktails. You have something in mind that you have drunk before, know a great product that you want to use or there is a dish that has to go with something. For example: There is a really delicious salted grapefruit lemonade. I immediately think of umami, dried seaweed, coconut syrup and lime water. The distillate must not be too strong. A vermouth supports the umami character. If everything is shaken, you get a salty, subtle result with the heartiness of seaweed. A harmonious sweet and sour interplay.

In the end, it is a lot of tinkering, a lot of trying and a lot of pouring together. And a lot of throwing away. I often had to get on my colleagues' nerves to try it. The funny thing about non-alcoholic drinks is that the staff can also stand behind the counter and drink.”

“This is all new territory.”

What did you learn while working with the non-alcoholic drinks learned?
“There are many brands and products that I don't understand and don't like and working with them was a challenge. It was all new territory. It was all a process and it took time.We often had drinks that were good and somehow "OK", but in the end were nothing more than a better lemonade. They simply lacked the complexity and interest that would make me take my time with it like a real drink and not just drink it down. And that caused a lot of frustration right from the start. My biggest lesson: alcohol carries flavor. Getting a heavy and broad note in is the hardest thing. But we managed that very well with essences, kombucha or vinegar."

What surprised you the most?
"My concerns that the menu would be too monotonous were not confirmed. Overall, I was totally positively surprised because I didn't think that so much was possible with the texture and taste. The basic building blocks are the same as with alcoholic drinks, but the properties and characteristics can change completely. I am sure that the mixological level will continue to increase with the spread of non-alcoholic distillates."

How is the concept being received?
“At the beginning there was a lot of opposition and scepticism, even from my colleagues. That’s why I put a lot of work and effort into it to nip the criticism in the bud. Looking back, there was a lot of pressure to convince everyone and not confirm their prejudices. It is the first bar menu that I have brought out on my own. For me, it will be a success if I get positive feedback. There was a lot of enthusiasm from my colleagues. I can still see the surprised faces of my colleagues in my mind when they saw the Garden 108 Smash tried and the comment “This intense note of ginger is really in your face.

“We don’t want to be exclusive. Our idea is to bring everyone to the table.”

There are critics who don't understand the concept. I had to learn that. You have to recognize the type of guest and respond to that. For example, if someone wants a classic nightcap. Business people who want a beer and Negroni want. And that's what they get from us. It's a challenge to have a two-pronged approach: keep the alcohol content high and expand it to be alcohol-free."

How do you deal with alcohol-free critics? 
“The most important thing is communication and wording: “If you are interested and want to stay alcohol-free, we recommend…”. In the end, it is the taste that wins you over. For everyone else, there is also alcohol on the back of the menu. We don’t want to be exclusive. Our idea is to get everyone to one table. Everyone can drink what they want. It’s a bit like it used to be with vegetarian food. If you told people in the pub where I trained that there would be purely vegetarian restaurants one day, no one would have believed it.”

What are your favorite drinks?
“I like the Ramos 0.5% with a slightly creamy texture that is very refreshing. We use ayran and non-alcoholic IPA, which gives the drink its hoppy flavor. There are also citrus flavors, a little cream and aquafaba, no egg white. You have to shake it a lot, so it takes a while.

“Let’s talk about champagne, baby”
Also great, a fresh aperitif with enough acidity and thus a super alternative to champagne cocktails . You really want to eat something afterwards. For the show effect, we use a flavor blaster to flavor the champagne glass. The smoke stays in the champagne glass and the guest can take in the full aroma. A real eye-catcher.A winning horse named Julip is based on rose water, which is made in-house, and an alcohol-free bitter. It is fruity, tart, sour. The best anecdote about the drink Who is Frank “Palini” Baum . Frank Palini Baum was the most famous guitarist in the German-speaking world for Hawaiian Tikki music. We asked ourselves whether Tikki could be made alcohol-free and reimagined it with black cherry, sea buckthorn and carrot. A fruity, earthy drink and the story is an absolute icebreaker for conversations.”

What tips do you have for mixing your own drinks in your home bar?
“I think simple and delicious drinks are a good idea at home. When mixing, there are a few little things that can make a big difference. A pinch of salt brings out the aroma and supports it, just like when cooking. The interplay of sweetness, salt and acid is the reason why drinks are wide, deep and very exciting. As simple as it sounds: the most important thing is the ice. If the ice cubes are too small, the ice waters down. For us, it is the key to the cocktail menu. If they weren't 3.2 cm, the drink would be watered down and the taste wouldn't last as long. At home, it is important to make sure that you use whole ice cubes rather than broken ones. I like to make ice cubes myself using a muffin tin. Another good thing: turn the freezer down so that the ice cubes are really cold. In the end, it might be boring if people can do everything so easily at home, then you don't need us anymore.”

Has your relationship with alcohol changed since focusing on alcohol-free?
“Even before we designed the menu, I relaxed and decided not to drink heavily. Negroni and Old Fashioned are nice, but I've never been someone who drank a lot of hard liquor. Otherwise, I drink relatively little alcohol in private. More in company. And unfortunately, the last game night with friends was too long ago. My favorite drink at home is tea. For me, one of the most exciting drinks in the world because it has so many different flavors. Smoky to strong, sweet to floral. Despite that, I still enjoy my after-work beer and other drinks like before."

Any final conclusion?
“The great thing is that we have an opportunity for everything here. It just so happened that we have great non-alcoholic drinks create. That's the bottom line.”

Got thirsty?

Are you really in the mood for non-alcoholic drinks? Then try our non-alcoholic Gin & Tonic - a classic that is easy to mix. You can find the recipe here .

Photos: Bar am Steinplatz