In November 2021, Wax On bar opened in Neukölln, Berlin, featuring inventive blends like peanut butter and strawberry, mimicking the flavours of a whiskey sour. Known for their use of laboratory-level apparatuses, they craft clear distilled drinks from heavy, mushy ingredients such as banana, peanut butter and strawberry.
“People joke that we just don’t have any garnishes. We have garnish holders on the bar station, but we never use them,” says Joe Lewis-White, the operations director.
The six-member bar team includes Sam Orrock, the owner, bringing his vision to life, and Damien Guichard, the creative director, infusing artistic flair.
Sam’s background includes working at London’s Scout bar and collaborating with renowned mixologist Matt Whiley. Damien, on the other hand, spent nearly a decade honing his craft in Berlin, leading creative programmes and contributing to Bar Convent Berlin (BCB), one of the largest bar industry trade show in Europe held annually.
Ultimate paloma at Wax On bar, in Berlin | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Meanwhile, the operations director Joe’s journey encompasses working at The American Bar at The Savoy Hotel in London to managing Two Schmucks in Spain, which ranked number seven on the prestigious 50 Best Bars list last year.
Last year, the Berlin bar was named one of the country’s most influential bars of the last 20 years by Mixology magazine and was awarded the title of Best New Bar of 2022 in the German-speaking world by the same magazine. Additionally, it was among the Top 10 new bars worldwide for 2022 by The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.
Joe acknowledges the importance of playing the PR and marketing game to achieve global recognition in these award programmes, which involve social media and travelling. “It’s not what really happened, it’s just what happened on Instagram.,” he chuckles.
Cherry paloma at Wax On bar, in Berlin | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Joe notes a service void in Berlin’s hospitality venues, partly due to the city’s unique history. “If you compare the average service to other major European cities, you’d see a difference,” he says.
But he affirms that is not the case at Wax On. “The drink is just a vehicle to arrive at a greater thing, which is the experience,” he adds. The focus is on providing a personal touch, like getting to know guests by asking at least three questions, such as their purpose of visit, residence, and favourite drink, fostering meaningful interactions.
During summer, the bar extends its energy to the terrace, while in winter, the fireplace inside creates a warm ambience.
Gimlet at Wax On bar, in Berlin | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
House negroni at Wax On bar, in Berlin | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Their approach to drinks and bar design emphasises quick service. Highballs on the menu are pre-carbonated for speed and quality. Joe highlights that hard work happens during preparation and tasting, allowing drinks to be poured on demand. This minimises drink-making time and maximises guest interaction.
The bar embraces classic cocktails with innovative twists, inviting guests to explore the menu. They offer familiar classics like old-fashioned or gimlets, enriched with exciting accents of peanut butter and strawberry.
Despite seemingly complex mixes, like the old-fashioned with whiskey, peanut butter, strawberry, Pedro Ximenez, sherry, and salt, the familiarity of the names helps guests know what to expect — a whiskey-forward, stirred-down, and slightly boozy cocktail. “However, the magic lies in the layers of flavour — a creamy nuttiness and a nostalgic interplay between peanut butter and strawberry that connects emotionally with the guest,” explains Joe.
Their Go Apes cocktail, a clear drink with the flavour of banana, achieved through rum, clarified banana, a hint of black walnuts, a touch of coffee, sugar, and citric acid for balance, has garnered a devoted following. “One of our regulars loved the Go Apes so much that he got it tattooed on his foot,” Joe shares.
Utilising expensive apparatus like the centrifuge and rotavap to craft clear distilled cocktails can be financially challenging for a bar. However, they found a clever solution by partnering with the manufacturer, Heidolph, and earned these tools through content creation for the brand.
Another way to stay within budget is to make distillates in-house, like the peanut flavour for the old-fashioned, using cost-effective peanut butter for maximum flavour extraction instead of peanuts. “Not only is peanut butter cheaper in bulk, but it also provides the best extraction of flavour due to its high surface area,” explains the Londoner.
Operating in both on-trade and off-trade segments, the bar’s inventive approach has led to lucrative ventures beyond serving drinks, such as consulting and bar takeover events, enhancing their revenue stream and ability to invest dynamically. As part of their bar takeover, they will be in Bengaluru and Mumbai this month, showcasing a specially curated menu that features cocktails drawing inspiration from Berlin and Indian local flavours.
“Let me be clear; our bar is not perfect, and we’ve made mistakes,” shares Joe. In the first year, he realised he had taken on too much, leading to physical and mental burnout. Despite trying to be more conscious of limitations, he admits to making similar mistakes after two months, acknowledging, “I am only human.”
Nevertheless, the team this year decided to reduce their travels, focussing on fewer, more significant trips instead of numerous smaller ones. Joe emphasises, “Our bar is the core of everything, and it makes no sense for Damien and me to go around praising Wax On if we’re all struggling back at the bar.”
With a focus on accessibility, innovation, and community, Wax On proves that the bar experience is more than just the drinks; it’s about moments that leave a lasting impression and finding comfort and familiarity in your neighbourhood.
Wax On’s bar takeover is on August 18 at ZLB 23, The Leela Palace, Bengaluru and August 20 at Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai.
