Cocktail workshop and Absinthe tasting.

After almost 20 years, Brasserie Appelmans & Absinthbar has become a well-established name in Antwerp’s city center.

With its two bars – the lively Absinthbar and the rustic-style Private Bar – Brasserie Appelmans offers the best of both worlds. These two bars present their fascinating menus full of drinks and with nothing but quality and taste as their main priority. Bar manager Wim Deweerdt and his team serve you a nice selection of classic and contemporary cocktails, sometimes entirely new recipes and sometimes they are classics with a twist. Further on the menu and not to be missed: spirituous absinthes, elegant wines and various other beverages.

Cocktail workshop.

This workshop takes place in our Private Bar. To start, we serve you a glass of cava and some fried appetizers. Just to set the tone …

Here you will learn all about cocktails and their origin. We’ll also explain everything about the right tools, the glassware, and how to use them. No cocktails without alcohol! So we will tell you more about the basic spirits. No cocktails without alcohol, you say? Of course you can have them without! We just call them mocktails, and we will give equal attention on how to make those, for anyone who prefers their drink without the heavy stuff. And after that, obviously, it’s time to taste: basic cocktails are made, and served for you to try out, with a word of explanation. Enjoy!

Afterwards it’s up to you! Time for the real job: you can make your very own cocktail, but no worries, we’ll guide you through it. The result? Have it as a perfect aperitif before having dinner in our restaurant.

• Duration: +/- 2 hours.
• Minimum 10 people.
• Maximum 20 people.
• Price: € 44.50 p.p.

Timing to be determined after consultation and upon availability.

What to expect?

A glass of cava and hot appetizers upon arrival.
An explanation about the basic spirits and the differences between them.
An explanation about cocktails in general and their origin.
An explanation about all the necessary tools to make a fine cocktail.

Our bar manager will make about 5 basic cocktails for you to try out.
Afterwards you can mix your own. The bartender will be there to assist you. And with all that newly acquired knowledge, you have earned it to enjoy your very own signature cocktail at the end of the workshop.

It takes about 2 hours to participate in this workshop.
€ 44.50 p.p.

Absinthe tasting.

For almost a century it was prohibited to drink absinthe in many European countries, but ever since 2005 the drink is back on the menu. Overall allowed and thus, ready for you to try. But make sure to NEVER have it without a mixer!

During this tasting we’ll serve you absinthe in three different ways: as a shot, in a cocktail and in a ‘bohemian style’ version. Furthermore, we’ll show you the Absinthe Fountain with all the explanation you need.

The tasting will happen at the Private Bar on the second floor. The bar manager is there to tell you what absinthe actually is, why it was prohibited for so long and what you can do with it now. Please note that we will also be serving plenty of water, as this liquor has a high percentage of alcohol.

• Duration: +/- 2h.
• Minimum 10 people.
• Maximum 20 people.
• Price: € 47.50 pp.

Timing to be determined after consultation and upon availability.

What to expect?

We start with an Absinthe Sour Shot.
You will get all the explanation you need about what absinthe actually is and how to serve it.
We’ll show you two ways to drink absinthe.
We serve everyone 1 absinthe with water.
Afterwards there’s an explanation on how to make a delicious cocktail with absinthe.
And to end it all in style, we’ll serve you an absinthe cocktail.

Duration: +/- 2h.
€ 47.50 pp