Putting history at the forefront, Baba Au Rum owner Thanos Prunarus will gladly tell you that cocktail culture got its humble beginning in the flamboyant city of New Orleans. So while Baba Au Rum, which abbreviates to B.A.R. lest you forget, may be a long way from home, it has more than made a history of its own. Established in 2009, it was a front-line contender in the local cocktail revival that took the city by storm and still holds a prominent spot in Athens’ nightlife. Having spent a number of years behind the bar, Prunarus thought long and hard before making the leap to becoming a bacchanalian entrepreneur. He believed a bartender holds a very responsible position in contemporary society and he was well aware that his team had to be well-versed in a number of fields – from English soccer to current affairs – in order to contextualize the drinking experience.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
FINE DRINKING, issue #3.
Cover illustrated by Daniel Egneus.
Eight years later, his philosophy has been rewarded well with a faithful clientele he personally transformed from casual beer-drinkers to cocktail connoisseurs and a place among the 50 best bars in the world. Baba Au Rum, which was named after a French dessert drenched in its signature spirit, boasts one of the largest rum collections in Europe, which can be consumed straight up or combined with a list of hand-picked ingredients that will make your taste buds hum. Prunarus is currently serving an “Avant Garde cocktail and spirit menu”, influenced by futurism, modernism and conceptual art, while publishing a quarterly print edition called “Fine Drinking” on cocktail & bar culture, stand-out personalities and travelling. And because life has a funny way of coming full circle, Baba Au Rum was honored for possessing one of the world’s best spirits selections by the “Tales of the Cocktail” bar festival in New Orleans. Coincidence? We think not!
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
Photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.
