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Feature
The Brat pack: Slovakia’s rising cocktail scene
The cocktail scene in Slovakia’s capital city is reinventing itself, thanks to inventive high-end venues such as Mirror Bar.
*This feature was originally published in the June 2024 issue of The Spirits Business magazine.
If you tell people you’re heading to Bratislava for cocktails, you’ll usually get one of two responses: the first is ‘Where is that?’, and the second is ‘Oh, Mirror Bar?’. Slovakia’s capital city hasn’t quite cemented itself as a tourist destination, but it’s doing its best to change that. A key way it is doing so is through its hospitality venues – and yes, that means Mirror Bar.
The historic centre of Bratislava is undergoing a renovation project, one that seeks to honour the town’s history while also modernising it. Many buildings are being repurposed to better serve the community while exhibiting its history. There has been a surge in the number of late‐night bars, which, similar to Budapest’s ruin bars, make their homes in the historic buildings of the city centre. These venues, such as Bukowski bar, offer beers, wines, shots and snacks – they’re high volume and often see queues snaking around the streets.
While these late‐night bars are developing the party atmosphere in Bratislava, Stanislav Harcinik – global ambassador for Mirror Bar and author of The Cocktail Balance – is keen to emphasise that the city isn’t attempting to position itself as a party destination. Around a decade ago, Bratislava had a huge nightlife scene, but Slovakia’s cheap prices and the availability of low‐cost flights across Europe attracted stag and hen parties, developing a reputation that the city is keen to avoid in its rebirth. “We want to profile it as a different city,” he explains. New nightclubs, such as Aldea, are more focused on attracting quality DJs that appeal to locals and tourists alike rather than drunken guests hoping for a bargain.
Mirror Bar
In terms of cocktail bars, Mirror Bar is the jewel in Bratislava’s crown. With a full‐sized tree in the centre of the bar, a mirror in every direction, and a wall of botanical terrariums, it certainly looks the part. Its drinks menu is a work of art in itself; launched last month, the 88‐page hardback book is a collaboration between the bar and 60 Slovakian artists.
Based on ‘the essence of design’, the menu is divided into five sections – Classy, Highlights, Design, Sharing, and Non‐alcoholic – with each presented using a different design style, from gold embossing to laser cutting. Every artist is listed at the back of the book. As well as working with local artists to create the book, Mirror Bar collaborated with glass artists and more to create bespoke glassware and sculptures for its drinks. “Mainly we are going for people who are top professionals, but we are also trying to bring up the young talent. We helped at least half of the people on this list to become some of the most‐known artists and craftspeople in Slovakia,” explains Harcinik.
This interest in art continues to the drinks, each of which is presented dramatically, and usually with a story. The Design section of the menu in particular offers a feast for the eyes, with each cocktail being accompanied by a 3D sculpture. Cerebro of AI was created by AI, with the Mirror Bar team asking it to create both the cocktail recipe and a story after providing it with information about the bar and its ethos. The result combines Rum Brugal 1888, smoked maple horchata syrup, and Mirror citrus bitters, which is then clarified with oat milk. It is presented on a circular tablet that looks both futuristic and organic, with an illuminated grid highlighting areas of grass and tiny flowers. Underneath the drink is an engraving of a poem AI composed based on the commandments it should live by.
Sampling the drink, the first thing I noticed was an elevated sweetness, which Harcinik claims reflects the local palate. “Every one of our cocktails is slightly sweeter than we would want it to be. Post‐communist countries have a sweeter tongue. During communism, no one cared about the quality of ingredients or the healthiness – everything was full of sugar.”
Away from Mirror Bar, Bratislava’s cocktail scene is developing. Sky bar is the city’s oldest cocktail bar, at just 14 – which may sound young compared with London’s 19th‐century offerings, but it’s worth noting that Slovakia has only been independent for 30 years. Like Mirror Bar, it’s deeply inspired by art and culture – both high and low. Harry’s Margarita combines Volcán de mi Tierra Tequila Blanco, watermelon, passion fruit and rhubarb, and was inspired by Harry Styles’ hit single Watermelon Sugar – garnished with a photo of the singer printed on edible paper.
Classics with a twist
Elsewhere, Old Fashioned bar serves a range of classics with a twist, including a Classic Old Fashioned made with Woodford Reserve and Michter’s Rye, and a Palo Santo Negroni, while offering an old‐school speakeasy vibe. Similarly, Michalska Cocktail Room is a Prohibition‐style venue that offers both traditional cocktails and modern interpretations – if you can find the door.
Turning away from the more laidback venues, The Antique American Bar feels more like a high‐end hotel bar – it is seemingly inspired by The Savoy London’s own American Bar, with one of its alumni, Erik Lorincz, behind the Bratislava bar’s menu. Expect crisp Martinis and forgotten classics such as the Old Pal, which combines Campari, red vermouth and Bulleit rye.
In a country that is better known for its beer culture and wide range of fruit distillates, Bratislava’s cocktail scene is varied and vibrant, and often with local culture and makers at its heart.
Mirror Bar’s eponymous Martini featured in our guide to 10 of the best global Martinis.
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