Vienna: Schnaps, Markets and Smoky Bars

Schnaps You can’t go to Vienna, or anywhere in Austria for that matter, without seeing people enjoying Schnaps*. Schnaps is a strong spirit, usually from fruit such as apricot, pear, cherries or plum. In Austria, Schnaps is defined as distilled fruit brandy, similar to French calvados (made from apples). Most of them are around 35–42% […]

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Skip the Tourist Traps – Smarter Drinking in Havana

El Floridita Tourist hell. I had previously visited El Floridita cocktail bar to see what all the fuss was about. They serve you frozen cocktails for a staggering CUC 6 (in Cuban prices that is a lot for a drink). Like La Bodeguita del Medio (Mojito bar), El Floridita is also known as Hemingway’s favourite […]

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Steam Hellsinki

My cousin advised me to visit this bar because, in her opinion, it was very ‘me’. Well, I can see why Finland’s first steampunk-themed bar would attract the likes of myself – slightly chaotic deco, bar shaped like a zeppelin, smoke, cocktails, Gin and even more Gin. From the outside, the venue looks dull and […]

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The Gin Corner

Whilst in Rome I read about a bar serving mainly Gin so obviously I had to go and find it. It was fairly easy to find by Piazza di Firenze, but, to my surprise, it was part of a fancy-looking hotel. Luckily I had dressed up as I would have felt completely underdressed wearing Converse […]

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