The Boilerman Bar

Words by Simon Difford

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Address: Eppendorfer Weg 211, Hamburg, 20253, Germany
Website: view The Boilerman Bar’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Neighbourhood bar
Established: 2015

Review

The Boilerman is Joerg Meyer's other bar (see Le Lion). It couldn't be more different and he set out to ensure it was. Boilerman is best described as a dive/neighbourhood bar with great drinks. There's a very good range of bottled beers and American whiskey, but The Boilerman is justly famous for its highballs.

At Boilerman Joerg has reconstructed the humble highball to be a lot more than a mere spirit and carbonate such as soda or tonic water served long over ice. Firstly, the glasses are tall and slender but they are also small, a mere 220ml to their brim. Secondly, the ice is also not just any old ice shoved higgledy-piggledy in the glass. Here each highball comprises two perfectly formed ice balls from a Hozaki ice machine which snugly fit the glass, nestling one atop the other. Thirdly, you can order a simple G&T highball, but you should be more adventurous - at Boilerman a highball can be pretty much any cocktail reengineered and presented as a highball. Lastly, you'll be amazed at the speed of service. Clever preparation of both glasses and ingredients allows each drink to be turned out in seconds rather than minutes, especially when Head Bartender, Andrej Busch is behind the stick. They are all very tasty with the carbonation also ensuring they are refreshing.

Boilerman is a must visit for cocktail aficionados but foremost it is a neighbourhood bar. An unpretentious place full of locals. Its small size means the no smoking law doesn't apply so expect a smoky atmosphere. Food is not permitted to be served in such a bar but there's nothing to stop you bringing your take-away from the excellent pizza restaurant next door into the bar. Mostly this is a fun, relaxing place to be. A place where you feel at home.

As I write, construction of a second Boilerman bar is well underway, Joerg has created a brilliant concept and you should expect to see many more Boilermans spring up across Europe and beyond in the coming years. It is also a concept that is likely to be much copied.

Hamburg City and Bar Guide

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