PARTNER BARS
Into the Woods
A school trip to Scotland and a distillery visit helped nurture Simon Bach’s interest in whisky – with SMWS bottlings now taking pride of place behind his stunning bar in Cologne, finds Madeleine Schmoll
PHOTOS: DUSTIN PREICK
For Woods owner and SMWS member Simon Bach, a warm welcome is as important as the spirits on the back bar. “We wanted to build a cosy place where everyone felt welcomed,” he says. “Every guest gets a sense of the passion and love we put together in every detail of the bar, the design, the menu, the drinks and our choice of spirits.”
It’s these carefully thought-out details that create the biggest impression when you first set foot in the bar on Cologne’s Friesenstrasse. “We used a lot of natural and vital materials such as oak and leather, but also natural and vital structures. Our ceiling is making a ‘wave’ which could be interpreted as a natural flow of water, but also as the air going through the trees in the woods. The back bar is the trunk of these trees and all of this is held together by a natural warm light shining out of wooden pipes.”
Simon’s love of whisky came from a school trip to Scotland back in 2005. “When our tour at a large distillery was cancelled, our bus driver knew a guy in a small distillery nearby.
"It was Edradour. Their fantastic whisky and above all their passion made me fall in love with whisky.”
It wasn’t until a few years later however that his philosophy for what a bar should and shouldn’t be, was cemented. As with many students, Simon bartended as a part-time gig during his studies in Cologne.
In 2015, he launched a project called AStA-Bar for the unsalaried student community to create a place for students to relax with a pint or cocktail. “We sold drinks for just the price of the ingredients. In this time I learned a lot and met the friends I founded our bar Woods with in July 2019.”
At Woods today, the focus is on continuing to create a space that welcomes while also seeking to educate drinkers thirsty for knowledge.
The thoughtfully curated selection of spirits is complemented by a skilfully crafted cocktail menu with tastings and mixology courses for those who fancy a peek behind the curtain.
The thoughtfully curated selection of spirits is complemented by a skilfully crafted cocktail menu with tastings and mixology courses for those who fancy a peek behind the curtain.
It’s not just visitors to Woods that benefit either, as Simon and the team have recently started hosting Woods ON AIR, a fortnightly live mixology course on their YouTube channel.
With the option to purchase a cocktail box or grab the ingredients from elsewhere, the key is to get everyone mixing along at home.
With Simon’s love of whisky, it’s no surprise that it holds a revered place at Woods. “From the beginning it was important for us to have a high quality and exceptional choice of spirits in our bar.
Since I’ve been a Society member for a few years, some of the SMWS bottles on the bar are from my own collection. I’m always happy when I can get a guest to try new spirits.” It’s a small collection, but one that’s perfectly formed.
“Because of the limited space on our back bar (there’s only space for around 20 whiskies) we have six SMWS bottles. Usually there are two or three SMWS Single Cask Rums on top and there’s always a lot of bottles in our store too. Altogether, I have about 20 SMWS bottlings at the bar.”
As for the reactions he gets on SMWS bottlings, it’s unanimous, “Well, since my first day I’ve never heard someone say it’s not delicious whisky,” says Simon. “Even guests who have never tried a cask strength whisky before are surprised at how smooth and well-balanced these bottlings are.
“I’m very proud to be a partner bar with my beloved Woods and I’m looking forward to hosting more whisky events in the future. I hope the community in Cologne will come more and more to try a dram in our cosy atmosphere and let me mix a cocktail or two with these spirits.”
“Even guests who have never tried a cask strength whisky before are surprised at how smooth and well-balanced these bottlings are”