Hotel bars rarely have to actually be good, as they have a captive audience to cater to…read more Ducktail's seems to actually make it a point to shatter that stereotype, and it's entirely thanks to the fantastic staff and the ingredients they are provided.
Staying at the Westin Grand, I stopped by one late evening after the Oktoberfest had closed down but I wasn't tired enough to hit my bed due to jet lag. Sitting at the bar, I met Marco and Szabo, and warmed quickly to their hospitality. Their liquor selection is absolutely stunning, and I started on what I still can't easily find in the States - top-notch Cuban rum. A few nights later, I decide I wanted a taste of home, and asked Szabo if he could make me a Sazerac. He laughed, and said of course. Watching him at work, with rye, cognac, absinthe, and a bitter I haven't seen before which put Peychaud's to shame, I knew I was in the presence of a master. Szabo later confirmed that he'd spent many years in different cities both behind the bar and competing in cocktail competitions. He also has a keen mind for suggesting what fits at any given time, and he managed to cure a nasty bit of heartburn with a shot of Hungarian Unicum.
This is a quiet and civilized place to either start or end your night. While it is quite distant for a regular resident of München, if you're staying at either the Sheraton or Westin in Arabellapark, Ducktail's is not to be missed.
