The Cocktail Bar is situated on the left side of ARAZ Restaurant's main entrence where we offer our guests fashionable alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.
Drinking cocktails is a favoured leisure activity for young Hungarians, and let’s admit there is a certain exciting, mysterious, uplifting feeling when we take a seat at the bar counter and ask for our favourite cocktail.
A little history of the cocktail
Researching the origin of the word “cocktail” we can find at least as many explanations as there are types of cocktail in the world. One story tells of a Mexican princess called Coctel, whose father offered special drinks to the American officers visiting his court at the beginning of the 19th century.
The soldiers believed that Coctel was the name of the liqueur. According to another story (likewise connected to Mexico), the drac was a popular drink on one peninsula and meant the stirring of several types of drink using a wooden spoon.
The essence of the cocktail changed along with social and political circumstances. During the period of prohibition mixed drinks were the products of necessity and primarly consumed for their alcoholic effect. It was only after the end of prohibition that the cocktail began to be a form of entertainment and leisure, becoming almost a symbol today.
Social scientists tend to refer to processes of the post-war period as consumer or post-industrial. The most important characteristics of this – which also explain cocktail-drinking customs – are the large amount of leisure time available thanks to technological advances, and the individual, creative use of specialist knowledge valued by modern society.
Leisure time provides an occasion to relax and enjoy ourselves. Why is sipping a cocktail more desirable than drinking a draught beer somewhere? The answer is almost self-evident: the preparation of a cocktail is not just a simple gastronomic activity. The preparation of a cocktail is more than just pouring out a drink. The flamboyant motions and decorative elements involved are all the products of a creative, inspired mind. Drinking cocktails is more than just a way to relax. It is an exciting, exhilarating event in itself.
In Hungary today rum-based cocktails are the most popular, such as Pina Colada, Mojito and Cuba Libre. The vodka-based Sex On The Beach, Long Island Iced Tea and tequila-based Margarita are also favoured. All these cocktail creations can be tasted in the bar of the hotel.
When it forms the basis of a social occasion (rather than serving as a means to get drunk) and the preparation of the drink is both a visual and a culinary experience, drinking cocktails can be a superb way to spend a summer evening.
Come and visit us and enjoy the services of our Cocktail Bar!
