Gin is in. The popularity of the high-proof juniper drink has been growing for some time – including among Munich residents. The Gin City bar in the Werksviertel has jumped on the trend. Alexander Baehr opened the bar in a container in 2017 after he had the vision of Ginperium on the beach in Ibiza, as he says. At the beginning there were only 30 gins to taste. They were so well received that we moved to a larger location in the summer of 2019.
The selection of schnapps in the Gin City now knows almost no limits. Gin lovers can choose from over 400 variations. True to the motto and as it says on the bar’s logo: “Give your life a gin”.
In the city of gins, behind the counter there is a wall of numerous gin bottles that are illuminated with colored LED lights. A ladder is attached to the shelf so that even the most expensive bottles can be reached at the top, says 43-year-old bartender and operations manager Corrado Russo. Since the move in 2019, there has also been a spacious outdoor area. In the evenings, there are still radiant heaters next to the high tables and stools, which are prepared with fur as a seating surface.
The entire area of the Werksviertel has grown. It attracts all kinds of creative people, company founders and young people. The bar would inevitably have had to grow with it, says Leonhard von Liel, the bar’s event manager. According to operator Alexander Baehr, Gin City is currently the largest gin bar in Germany.
And there’s a lot on offer: the slightly spicier gins, such as the “Granit Bavarian Gin” with lemon balm, angelica root and bear root (15.50 euros). Or more “stimulating” schnapps: the “dive” with lemon, lime, orange and sweet flowers (16.50 euros). “Feel! Munich Gin” combines lavender, coriander and a citrus note (14.50 euros). Not to forget: the in-house and, according to Liel’s event manager, the most popular schnapps: the “Gin City London Dry Gin” (15.50 euros).
The drinks are served in large balloon glasses with round ice cubes. You drink from the goblet, which sits on a narrow stem, using a glass straw. The vessel is reminiscent of a test tube. Not inappropriate, given the experimental creation process of the gin variations. During the distillation of the juniper schnapps, countless natural ingredients can be added – the botanicals.
The Gin City has indoor seating and standing space for up to 100 people in a lounge atmosphere, accompanied by Ibiza house music.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Bartender and operations manager, Corrado Russo, in front of the meter-high shelf of gin bottles in the Gin City Bar in the Werksviertel.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The large selection can also overwhelm some guests: 32-year-old Alex says she always chooses the basics. Her friend Flo was already a happy guest in the container in the early days. He’s happily trying things out.
When asked what he could recommend, the service employee replied: “the Amuerte Gin with coke”. To be precise, the Amuerte Gin Red Edition with tamarillo, papaya, dragon fruit, pepper and harmless coca leaves (14.50 euros including tonic water). “It wakes you up and tastes good,” says the bartender with a grin.
And if you really can’t decide, you can book a gin tasting on the bar’s website.
Gin CitySpeicherstraße 20, 81671 Munich, telephone: 089/499491670, opening hours: Saturday to Wednesday 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday closed, Thursday and Friday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.