05:17 AM
Creative process usually starts from a non-alcoholic ingredient
To us, Cuba-lovers and rum aficionados, the Northern Europe doesn’t necessary sound like the ideal place to have a nice drink… But we’re completely wrong, as Scandinavian bars are gaining a growing fame for their abilities to fix mind-blowing drinks. In Finland, for example – and in Helsinki in particular –, you’ll have no problem finding true cocktail lovers. Right in the middle of the capital city, on Annankatu, stands the A21 Cocktail Lounge, and that’s where we’re taking you.
A former sex-shop, the A21 is a really classy venue. Don’t let its minimalistic design fool you: it’s a really warm and cozy place, with a charming and cheerful crew, led by Timo Siitonen, owner and head-bartender, who’s been active in the cocktail world for more than a decade. For him, everything began in 1999, in London, where “the hectic rhythm and changing challenges” of the cocktail culture made him “fall in love with it”. “I moved there to study theatre dance in London Studio Centre. As soon as I arrived to London I had a job arranged for me already in a members club in Soho. That’s how I got started in the bar business”, he recalls.
After a few years spent in London’s bars, Timo flew back to Finland in 2004 and created the Staff Drink Experiences with his friend Niko Autti, a company focused on the promotion of the cocktail culture and professional bartending. Then, in 2007, the pair started the A21, before opening the K17, the sister joint of the A21, dedicated to food. Always in search for new sensations, Timo built the A21’s menu to his own taste, mixing classics with rare vintage cocktails and creations. “Cocktails should be an experience”, he explains, adding that his “creative process” usually starts from “a non-alcoholic ingredient”, as, according to him, “alcohol only plays a small part in modern cocktail”.
The Finnish culture is also well represented in the menu, which features a “Suomi” section (“Suomi” being the Finnish term for “Finland”). There, you’ll find some extremely tasteful and surprising beverages, such as the Rhuba Martini, a strong Vodkatini infused with basil and, more importantly, rhubarb, one of the most beloved ingredients in Finnish cooking!
Asides from simply offering people some great and innovative drinks, the A21 also incites people to go behind the bar, through its “Cocktailschool”, a series of workshops aiming to teach the basic skills of bartending and conducted by Timo himself. “You get to hear about the history of cocktails, followed by compact brief on the required equipment and methods for making cocktails. Finally the real fun starts as you are given a chance to try to make different cocktails behind a real bar”, he explains.
So, if you have a chance to go and visit Northern Europe, don’t hesitate to make a short step by its bars. That would give you the occasion to use one of the most beautiful words in the Finnish language: “Kippis!” (“Cheers!”)
A former sex-shop, the A21 is a really classy venue. Don’t let its minimalistic design fool you: it’s a really warm and cozy place, with a charming and cheerful crew, led by Timo Siitonen, owner and head-bartender, who’s been active in the cocktail world for more than a decade. For him, everything began in 1999, in London, where “the hectic rhythm and changing challenges” of the cocktail culture made him “fall in love with it”. “I moved there to study theatre dance in London Studio Centre. As soon as I arrived to London I had a job arranged for me already in a members club in Soho. That’s how I got started in the bar business”, he recalls.
After a few years spent in London’s bars, Timo flew back to Finland in 2004 and created the Staff Drink Experiences with his friend Niko Autti, a company focused on the promotion of the cocktail culture and professional bartending. Then, in 2007, the pair started the A21, before opening the K17, the sister joint of the A21, dedicated to food. Always in search for new sensations, Timo built the A21’s menu to his own taste, mixing classics with rare vintage cocktails and creations. “Cocktails should be an experience”, he explains, adding that his “creative process” usually starts from “a non-alcoholic ingredient”, as, according to him, “alcohol only plays a small part in modern cocktail”.
The Finnish culture is also well represented in the menu, which features a “Suomi” section (“Suomi” being the Finnish term for “Finland”). There, you’ll find some extremely tasteful and surprising beverages, such as the Rhuba Martini, a strong Vodkatini infused with basil and, more importantly, rhubarb, one of the most beloved ingredients in Finnish cooking!
Asides from simply offering people some great and innovative drinks, the A21 also incites people to go behind the bar, through its “Cocktailschool”, a series of workshops aiming to teach the basic skills of bartending and conducted by Timo himself. “You get to hear about the history of cocktails, followed by compact brief on the required equipment and methods for making cocktails. Finally the real fun starts as you are given a chance to try to make different cocktails behind a real bar”, he explains.
So, if you have a chance to go and visit Northern Europe, don’t hesitate to make a short step by its bars. That would give you the occasion to use one of the most beautiful words in the Finnish language: “Kippis!” (“Cheers!”)
By clement
+ add a comment
Submit
