Meet Michael Ehrenwirth from Germany!
1- Tell us about yourselves and where you work
After working in several stations as a bartender, last at “Circle by Cihan anadologlu”, I opened my own bar enfant terrible in September 2016.
2- Who do you look up to in the drink industry?
Julieta Henke, Lucas López Dávalos
3- What are you doing when you are not behind the bar?
As I’m self employed, there is not much free time, so I try to focus on recreation and spending time with friends
4- Tell us briefly about the idea behind your Linie cocktail
I adore the philosophy and purity of Japanese bartending. There is just what it needs, nothing fancy on the top. I wanted to create a drink that also works with little ingredients, delivering huge effect. Yuzu and Japanese whisky seem for me to be a perfect match to Linie Aquavit Double Cask. The Teapot Bitters round everything up. The little sushi like garnish with the graved Norwegian salmon bring our journey of taste than back to the roots of our Aquavit. Enjoy PURITY.
5- When was your first meeting with Linie aquavit? Tell us about it.
Linie Aquavit in Germany was first more a spirit of the North and therefore rather unknown for customers in the south of Germany. I was lucky to take part of a Monica (Berg) and Alex (Kratena)’s masterclass hold at “Circle” in 2016 and a working surrounding that was very inviting to bringing in your own ideas. So after that, we started barrel aging aquavit cocktails and more.
6- What do you like about mixing cocktails with Linie aquavit?
As the product is quite "new" in the awareness of the customers, you can give great recommendations and for me it is super amazing how wide the range of taste goes. You can use it as substitute for gin for example when you stay with the unaged ones or even take it like whiskey or other aged spirits when you focus on barrel aged qualities.
7- Why did you join Linie – The Journey competition?
For me it was very exciting to take part in a competition that is the first time here in Germany so you can make sort of a pioneer work and the prize of creating your own aquavit is more interesting than any money for me.
8- What is your next project after the competition?
Continue to work in my bar and in the same time try to travel more often and get international exchange with colleagues. This is another fact that makes the journey so much fun for me and is really such a profit.
9- Without giving anything away, what is going to impress to judges during the final?
My drink i hope of course and maybe my bad english !
Thanks for answering our questions, and good luck !
