The cat's out of the bag: Fuchs & Hase have crossed paths in Innsbruck one night and opened a bar. In the former wine bar Da Vincenzo on Domplatz, in the middle of the old town, Georg Waldmüller and Stephan Haas opened the new bar Fuchs & Hase in October 2022. In the middle of the old town and yet a little off the beaten track - just where the fox and the hare say "good night" to each other - that's exactly where you'll find the right address for really good drinks, the best mood and a friendly ambience. "Everyone is welcome here. It doesn't matter whether you're in a suit or sweatpants," says Stephan as he opens the bar at three in the afternoon and serves me Georg a coffee at the counter. His mom bakes the little cantuccini that come with the coffee herself for the bar guests
Drinks From Scratch
What is special here, I want to know from the two. Everything you can't get everywhere!
The standard for the drinks is high, and many of the ingredients are homemade. It starts with the dried organic grapefruit slices and ends with the homemade cola. Stephan spent two months working on the right combination of spices, kola nuts, and other ingredients to create the perfect blend for the in-house cola. Anyone who has ever made their own nut liqueur and struggled with spices and sugar knows what a challenge this must be. To everyone else, it's not as easy as making elderberry syrup
It's an activity that Stephan has not only grown into over the years, but one that he enjoys taking on every day - the special drinks vary according to seasonal availability. During my visit, the "infusion" is currently the drink of the day - Stephan shared the recipe for the Swiss pine drink with us afterwards (at the end of the article)
The fact that the two run a bar together today is due to a happy coincidence. Georg has been a successful bar owner for years with his Futterkutter (lunch dishes in sustainable glass at Franziskanerplatz and Maximilianstraße, cookbook author and much more) as a restaurateur, Stephan has worked for years in various bars and restaurants in Innsbruck and experimented a lot himself. Some of the glasses of his experiments are on the shelf in the bar, who reads through the label, also knows at what level is adulterated here.
When the pub on Domplatz became available, the two happened to be there at the same time during the visit. Since Innsbruck's gastro/bar scene is manageable, they already knew each other, and the idea of starting the project together was obvious. The object inspection turned into a coffee, the coffee into some beers, the beers into the first ideas and a business plan. Not even half a year has passed since this meeting, and today you can see the concept for yourself
The best of the best
No Aperol? No Aperol! You can and may - and perhaps should - order it anyway, of course. Because only then does Pandora's box open, and you learn EVERYTHING about the numerous alternative bitter aperitif drinks with which a similar but much finer drink can be mixed, such as the Super Cattivo from Burgenland or the Spanish Bonanto. The result is drinks that a trained palate will appreciate, and an untrained one should enjoy just as much. "Geiler Taste!" is what counts, away from convenience
Who is now afraid that there may be no beer here: That's not the case. Local beer from the beer factory or Meckatzer from the Allgäu is served. True to the concept: alternative spirits and drinks from small manufacturers and regional producers
Sourdough sandwiches
How could it be otherwise: The sandwiches also rely on good ingredients and the best taste. Kathrin from @Sauerteigland bakes the ciabatta rolls especially for the Fuchs & Hase Bar. Anyone who follows her on Instagram understands immediately: here, sourdough is taken really seriously and brought to perfection. Love and dedication abound, too, but without those qualities, you're on a lost cause with sourdough anyway.
The breads are filled and baked fresh in the bar, and there is always a vegan, vegetarian and meat option to choose from. If you've never had cauliflower, zhoug, pickled onion and dried tomato in a sandwich, you're definitely missing out. Whereas bacon, umate (umami tomato à la ramen guru Ivan Orkin), endive salt and dijonnaise also has something ..
Winter drink recipe with Swiss stone pine: "Infusion
For all those who have now also got a craving for a drink: here is the fox & hare recipe for a delicious Swiss stone pine drink
Ingredients:
- 4 cl Swiss stone pine liqueur
- 1 cl lemon juice
- 125 ml Mountaingoat Alpine Tonic
- one stone pine curl
Preparation:
Put a nice big ice cube in a glass and pour 4 cl of Swiss stone pine liqueur as the base of the drink. This is followed by the tonic and lemon juice. The planed stone pine curl is not only visually beautiful, you can also smell the woody pine scent while drinking. A drink that exudes the tranquility of a sauna session in a stone pine sauna, leaving you slightly tipsy and full of energy.
The ideal drink for dark winter nights or as an alternative for all those who really can't stand mulled wine at this time of year - or who have never liked the sweet stuff. After all, it's only a hop, skip and a jump from the Christmas market in the old town to the bar on Domplatz, which is one of the few quieter places at Christmastime that is particularly beautiful ..
Tips for dates: It's not far from here to the famous Innsbruck Whispering Arc... At a later hour, you could also continue the beastly good evening in the Dachsbau - virtually next door
Contact
Fox & Hare Bar
Instagram: @fuchsundhase.bar
Address: Domplatz 3, 6020 Innsbruck
Reservations: [email protected]
Opening hours: Tue-Sat, 3pm-1pm
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Travel blogger & book author with a passion for hiking, wild herbs and alpine cuisine. #onlyinibk
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