Located on Ganghoferstraße in Neukölln, Velvet is a hyper-seasonal cocktail bar that blends Berlin’s wild and cultivated botanicals into creative cocktails with precision and elegance. Operating with a weekly-changing menu shaped around ingredients foraged across Berlin—including black locust blossoms, yarrow, fir tips, elderflower, fig leaf, and Japanese knotweed—the bar’s team dedicates one day each week (“Lab Day”) to distill, infuse, ferment, and craft all house tinctures, cordials, distillates, and syrups. With a focus on light spirits like sake, sherry, madeira, dry vermouth, and white spirits, Velvet lets the subtle aromas of local seasonality shine through without overwhelming sweetness. Cocktail classics are reimagined—such as a Cherry Blossom cocktail mixing Pinot Blanc, saffron tincture, verjus, brandy, and cherry blossom liqueur—foraged flavors take center stage. Velvet has earned numerous accolades: Twice named Mixology Magazine’s Germany “Bar of the Year” (2019, 2023), ranked #77 in the 2023 World's 50 Best Bars, and its team has been recognized individually (e.g. Bartender and Barwoman of the Year). The sleek, dim interior features dark walls and low lighting, offering an intimate and contemplative setting with bar seating and a few booths. Guests tend to be cocktail-savvy locals and visitors seeking an elevated, botanical experience. Service is attentive, friendly, and deeply knowledgeable. They also offer a seasonal tasting menu—10 micro-sips served from vintage glassware on Saturdays—with an educational walkthrough of their botanical philosophy.
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