30 years as a bartender

“Guests have become more demanding”

Stefan Wasserl has been a hotel bartender for 30 years and is something of an icon in the Bristol Bar.(Bild: klemens groh)

Bar manager Stefan Wasserl has been serving cocktails and drinks in the traditional Bristol Bar in the Hotel Bristol for 30 years. The experienced bartender has now shared his anecdotes with the Krone

The Bristol Bar in the legendary Ringstrasse Hotel Bristol is one of the first typical "American bars" in the Austrian capital. For over 130 years, the dandy atmosphere has attracted not only travelers, local and eclectic guests, but also top-class celebrities. After all, Catherine Deneuve, Woody Allen and Paul McCartney have all had their drinks here.

Stefan Wasserl is also almost part of the inventory. The bar manager has been serving cocktails and drinks here for 30 years. The experienced bartender has now shared his anecdotes with the Krone.

The Hotel Bristol can look back on over 130 years of history. It was opened in 1892.(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart .)

Who was its most famous guest? "Joe Cocker. He was here before his concert and ordered a Bacardi Cola," laughs the 53-year-old. What's special about his job? No two days are the same, because every guest is different. "Guests have become more demanding and place more value on quality," says the popular bartender. Traditional drinks such as Negroni, Manhattan and Martini are currently on the rise again. His credo has remained the same over the years: every guest should feel like a king here. Then he goes into raptures. "For me, there is no better place to work than the Bristol Bar!"