Kolokotroni 9
It was a cosy day today and time to get changed for the night. Usually I have planned all the bars I would like to visit beforehand but for this trip I only had a rough idea. I love to stroll through the streets at night without a concrete destination. The world is less colorful and the impressions are more intense. Spontaneously, I decided to visit the bar of the A for Athens Hotel. This is a hotel bar on the top floor with a great view to the Acropolis. You have to take the elevator that ends directly in the bar itself. Lots of glass with a wonderful view. But it was crowded, noisy and I felt very uncomfortable. I took the elevator downwards.
I continued my walk through the vibrant district of Psirri. One bar follows the next bar, all crowed and with an impressive collection of booze on their shelves. Way too much for my mood this night. I stopped at the Kolokotroni 9. I had my last drink on my previous journey in this small and comfy bar. I bumped into the bartender yesterday at the Baba au Rum. He is a very open-minded, friendly and handsome guy. The illuminated shelves are full of Rum and some Gin bottles. Behind the bar you can find a lot of little tins and boxes full of dried herbs from Greece. Looks like a doll’s kitchen and gives the place its own character. I like it a lot. I asked for a Gin based drink not too sweet. My heart started to beat faster while watching the bartender preparing my drink. His movements are skilled and his level of accuracy is very high. A glass of water was right there when I found my place at the bar. A detail one should find in every nice cocktail bar. At the end I faced a Gin based drink well balanced. All flavors there, acidic to sweet with herbal note rounded off with the light foam of cherry. The herb syrup was home-made.
While I finished my drink I was watching the bartender preparing another drink and I wondered why he decorated only half of the rim of the glass with purple sugar. He filled the glass with a light bluish liquid and placed it in front of me. “The rim is half sugared because it might be too sweet for you and so you can decide to have it with or without the extra sugar” the bartender explained. Honestly, I was deeply touched by that statement. The drink was made for a competition he never attended and a variation of an “Aviation”. Maraschino had been replaced by home-made pine syrup.
I tried, then again, the drink became warmer, I tried again, I smiled at the bartender. This drink belongs definitely to the rare ones that really touch me. Every sip was an experience. The taste was elegant, slightly powdery and already anchored in the depths of my taste memory. I am totally in love with this drink.
With a heavy heart I said goodbye and moved on to Baba Au Rum to meet some people and to admire the new label on the window. Until now it wasn’t labelled but regarding all the newly opened bars around, it became necessary. Lettering is the same as on the menu and website. I refreshed my mind with a “Bohemian like you”, which is filled with beer. To finish off this abso-fucking-lutly brilliant night the most handsome bartender of Greece served me a Rum. The team of baba are perfect hosts and they know how to treat their guests (and stalkers).
