Rum Trader has almost a mythical reputation among barflies, and for good reason. Though I've given it five stars, it is certainly not a place for everyone. In fact, it's probably not a place for anyone who isn't a hardcore cocktail enthusiast. It's also not for the shy or easily offended.
I sought out Rum Trader on an icy Tuesday night in February. When I found it, the door was closed and locked. It was a little early by Berlin standards - 10:00 PM - and so I explored the neighborhood a little before returning. When I returned, a couple happened to be leaving and so I snuck past them through the open door. The owner was standing there in an elegant and perfectly tailored suit. He literally looked down his nose at me (which is hard to do since I'm 6'3") and asked, in German, if I had a reservation. I said in polite phrasebook German that I didn't. When he said something else to me in rapid German I asked him politely if perhaps he spoke English. "Of course I speak English, young man. The question is why don't you speak German?" As it happens, I speak three languages very well -- it's just that none of them happen to be Deutsch. In any case, he quite openly appraised me and, judging my suit and trousers of sufficient quality, invited me to take a seat.
The service was, to put it mildly, leisurely. He would interrupt the making of a drink - a process that takes about ten minutes or so -- to chat on the phone or have a conversation with another customer. He was also unhelpful when it came to suggestions, offering me limitless options instead but offering no direction when I explained that I was unfamiliar with several of them.
Two Germans happened to come in and sit next to me. As we chatted in French, the one language we had in common, one of them asked me if the owner had given me a hard time when I came in. I said he had. The German smiled and said he does that to everyone, even his regulars, and not to feel too badly about it.
In the end, the atmosphere is unlike any other bar I've visited. The joint is tiny and extremely intimate. The cocktails were exceptional and are easily among the best I've ever had. Rum Trader is an experience not be missed if you're a dedicated cocktail snob. That said, if your tastes are more conventional, the service can be intimidating.
One has the feeling that the owner does this not so much as a business but as a labor of love. He seems to care little for what others think and enjoys crafting his artful cocktails purely for the pleasure of doing so. One feels like a guest in the man's home, which, in a way, you are. read more