It would be difficult to walk through Szervita Square without spotting the striking “Jack Daniel’s” and “Welcome to Lynchburg” signs. The bar has only recently popped up, and at the outset we can definitely say that it won’t stay at the square for too long. On the occasion of its 150th birthday, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey joined the international celebration with a Budapest-based pop-up bar, which means that unfortunately this liquor-soaked locale will only be in business until the middle of January... but until then, it will definitely be operating at full blast.
The bar is pretty striking from the exterior, and stepping inside, the interior is equally impressive. When sitting by the barrel tables, we could easily suddenly forget where we are, as the Jack Daniel’s signs, photos, and even a sculpture all transport us to the spirit of Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home of the whiskey’s famous distillery. However, those iconic black and white labels on the fine bottles sitting side by side behind the counter are worth the real attention, as we can always pick one to taste, of course in a crystal glass with ice.
The entire Jack Daniel’s range is found here, as well as such rarities as No. 27 Gold, and the limited-edition anniversary bottle.In addition to the tasty whiskey on the rocks, a 15-item cocktail selection also entices guests with treats like raspberry- and ginger-beer-flavored concoctions. We were truly curious about how Mr. Daniel’s delicious drink works with raspberry purée, so we tasted this version first. The pink mixture served in a hollow glass is a perfect refresher, as creamy and moderately sweet flavors dominate the alcoholic aromas. This version is the original recipe of the bar’s manager, Gergő Varga, similarly to the drink tasting like madártej (a Hungarian dessert similar to a floating island) and the coffee-liqueur-infused cocktails. Gergő is an award-winning mixer, which explains a lot. At Jack Daniel’s Pop Up Bar we find true expertise, high-quality ingredients, and prices that are not sky-high; the fine cocktails are available for as little as 1,650 forints.The bar could also serve as a small museum aiming to introduce the history and production methods of this wonderful Tennessee whiskey, which is made with burned-oak barrels, and guests can even smell the famous distillate before and after its maturation. The most exciting station in the bar is Tennessee itself; with the help of two virtual-reality headsets we can “take a trip” to the distillery in Lynchburg, and can have a good look around with 360° views.
We are not whiskey experts, but for us it was more than enough that the team behind Jack Daniel’s Pop Up Bar – Gergő the manager, János Fehér (the dreamer behind this whisky paradise), and the bar’s creative director Csaba Pap – all are. We trusted their advice, and by the end of our tasting session we realized that with a combination of whiskey, high-quality ingredients, and a hint of creativity, all sorts of concoctions can be created that can become favorites among even those who are not whiskey experts at all.
UPDATE: From mid January the place is no longer operating.
