Andreas Hotter – Englhof Bar

My Life

I was born on September 25, 1982, in Rum, near Innsbruck. Perhaps it was destiny. I grew up in Zell am Ziller, spending my childhood in hotels. My uncle built our hotel, which my parents later took over. My mother managed it mostly, as my father, being a farmer, had little interest in hotels.

When I was around 11 or 12, I would wait for my mother to finish work while the regulars lingered at their tables, and I often found myself bored. One day, I discovered a bar book we had, and I was instantly captivated by it. I became fascinated by flavor compositions and started experimenting early on, even though the available ingredients were quite limited compared to today.

“I was making drinks even before reaching the legal drinking age”.

Andreas Hotter

At 15, I began attending hotel management school in Zell am Ziller. A teacher who became a mentor pushed me a lot. Despite bar schooling not being as comprehensive as it is now, we participated in many international competitions. Typically, students could only go once, but I went four times thanks to my teacher’s support. My first competition was in Faro, marking my first experience flying, meeting people from around the world, and seeing the beach. Subsequently, I competed in Luxembourg, La Rochelle, Norway, and Malta. These experiences exposed me to international perspectives early on.

I was making drinks even before reaching the legal drinking age. However, due to my struggles with math and accounting, I was not allowed to continue in the school. I repeated a year but failed to pass the second time, ending my formal education there. I then started bartending in Rosenheim and other places, including my mother’s hotel. I traveled frequently, visiting distilleries and buying spirits to bring back home. I also began flair bartending, becoming the Austrian champion and competing in international events, including the World Cup of Flair Bartending in Thessaloniki, where I placed third in 2006. This achievement boosted my publicity, and a friend and I started a bar catering business. However, I didn’t enjoy the short-term, high-volume nature of the business with all the materials that we needed to move.

Eventually, I took over the bar at home. I had already amassed a significant stock of spirits. In 2008, I also took over the hotel from my parents. Initially, the bar didn’t generate much revenue, but I saw its potential. We started with a large menu of around 200 drinks, which wasn’t sustainable, but it attracted customers and boosted our revenue.

Through Andreas Döllerer who specializes in Alpine cuisine, I began exploring Alpine mixology. We focused on local ingredients, creating smaller, seasonal menus that changed four times a year. This approach made the bar very successful, earning awards from Mixology and Falstaff and frequent media coverage. This shift to Alpine mixology happened over a decade ago. We also offer spirit flights and food pairings with whisky. Over time, we were nominated for Mixology awards eight years in a row. I’m very proud, especially since we’re located in a small town, not a big city.

The bar means a lot to me. Many of my former employees have gone on to have successful careers, which makes me very proud. Now, I have Dominik, my right-hand man, who is indispensable. Our team is small but dedicated, focusing on homemade products and maintaining a high standard of quality.

Englhof Bar

Our bar’s concept revolves around three elements: an extensive spirits selection, offering tastings, and our expertise. We have around 2,000 different spirits, including various vintages, and an external storage facility to manage them. This requires significant time and effort. We operate with just four people and mainly during the winter season, working by reservation as it’s very busy.

We change our menu four times a year, always striving to offer unique and high-quality drinks. Local guests are very important to us, as are visitors from the hospitality sector. We also provide a range of non-alcoholic drinks for designated drivers. About 70% of our guests are regulars at the hotel, some visiting specifically for our spirits collection. Our spirits menu is available online, and some guests come just for a specific whisky they don’t want to open at home. Our bar is our unique selling point.

Regional Recommendations

The Future

My goal for the bar is to maintain our high quality. I don’t want to shift towards gimmicks; I value knowledge and quality. It’s important to continue sourcing excellent spirits. In the mixology field, I hope for less self-promotion and more genuine expertise. I wish that the organizations giving us awards would visit and build personal relationships with us. I dislike showiness and pretentiousness in the industry; hospitality should be the key focus.

Profile

Year Born: 1982

Special Skill: I motivate myself by observing what others are doing abroad, allowing us to improve in the future.

Free Time: I don’t really have much free time, but I love going out to eat.

Bartender Since: 2002

Biggest Fail: After my mentor, Herr Franz, passed away in 2010, they sold off his bottles. I regret not buying everything because many of those items are priceless today.

Most Significant Career Step: Working with Marcis Dzelzainis from Dandelyan in London. I learned a lot from that experience.

Favorite Cocktail: Daiquiri, for its simplicity and balance.

Favorite Bar: Caprice Bar in Hong Kong.

Zell in Three Words: Friendly, Clean, Skiing destination.

Hotel Englhof Website

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Images: ©Hotel Englhof Website