A trendy bar with trendy people, trendy music and great deco, before entering your favorite club later in the night this is a great ‘NYE starter’ …

We would be delighted to welcome you, please register yourself by simply writing a mail to drings@jjwhotels.com!
Vienna´s NYE Vodka Night @ Drings Flyer (PDF, 1.2MB)

1. Please try to describe yourself in 10 words!
Courageous, stubborn, creative, bored, innovative, witty, angry, skeptical, un-impressed, punchy

2. Why did you decide to develop and produce your own vodka?
We had the chance to try it out. It´s fun and magic to produce your own spirit even though it can be very challenging especially in the beginning.

3. What is so special about ‘Wodka Wanessa’ and why should people drink it?
We always say it´s made with love, by hand, not by computers. If you drink wanessa you drink love. You don´t only taste the difference, you feel the difference.

4. Describe to us the best vodka cocktail made of ‘Wodka Wanessa’

Because Wanessa as a lot of creamy, grainy aroma that derives from spelt, it is not suitable for every cocktail and certainly too precious to mix it with energy drinks. Martini cocktails work well with Wanessa, or Moscow Mule. Since mixologists like to work with Wanessa, we are curious of up-coming signature cocktails.

5. What is your favourite vodka and why?
Wodka Wanessa! Because I know what´s in it! It is smooth, soft on the palate and does good.

6. What is your goal with ‘Wodka Wanessa’ What do you want to achieve?
That people like and drink Wanessa feels great and is all we can wish for.

7. Do you know any typical ‘vodka bars’ and if yes, which ones and could you describe these?
I have been to a few. Best thing about vodka bars is the excitement of the barkeepers to use different vodkas for different drinks. Barkeepers are aware of the many differences between different vodkas. I am sure people will acknowledge these differences more and more

8. Any comments you would like to share with us?
No, thank you for inviting me for this interview!

The most important “10 Festival” dates:

June 4^th : VIP Party@Drings / The Ring, Vienna´s Casual Luxury Hotel (only by invitation)
June 7^th : Festival & Guerilla Store Opening at Liska
June 8^th : Vernissage “Eight Views” at Contemporary
June 10^th : “Cinema Photographique” party at the Pratersauna
June 12^th : Azubis 01-party at “The Loft”
June 14^th : “departure fashion night” at the Semperdepot
June 14^th : “Sand People” a multimedia art fashion event by Andreas Waldschuetz
June 15^th : Show Liska by Thomas Kirchgrabner “Apokalypse” at the Semperdepot (only by invitation)
June 16^th : “Awards 10 – AFA Austrian Fashion Awards”-show at the Semperdepot (only by invitation)
June 16^th : “Awards 10 –Afterparty” “The Black Lodge Party” at Celeste
June 16^th : “peng!” party at the Pratersauna?

The Ring Hotel, Vienna´s Casual Luxury Hotel, is partner of the 10 Festival for Fashion & Photography in Vienna.

The event started with a formal dinner organised by MEP (Mise en Place) EURO based in Maastricht, an organization that focuses on overall employment in the hospitality industry and tries to also “map” the graduates that work abroad from the 3 major hotel schools in the Netherlands.

At 8 pm the official “Dutch Night@Drings” started, with Heineken, Sonnema Vodka and Pop Shoes as major sponsors.

Why shoes?

Well, all Dutch people are familiar with the famous Heineken television commercial, here you see plenty of shoes. The bar could welcome VIP’s like Charles van Goch from MEP EURO in Maastricht, Stefan Miklauz (EasyMotion), Ferdinand Fischer (Harley Davidson Vienna), the famous fashion designer Lena Hoschek, Ms. Jessie de Haan from DiningCity Vienna, the Dutch musical actress Maya Hakvoort, the Dutch ambassador Mr. Alphons Hamer in Vienna and many many more.

The “vuvuzelas” did a wonderful job … will this be an event that will come again? Yes, definitely!

The result is definitely a vodka like no other. A rare spirit that ranks among the finest and smoothest in the world, Elit! Guest that attended the 1^st “Elit Night @ Drings” discovered this remarkable combination of elegance and mystique. Nobility and purity. Prestige and pleasure.

Either you take the classical one with “Edelweiss” samples, the retro-styled a la “Franz Klammer” or “ready for the halfpipe” with graffiti sticks to create your own helmet … winter 2009/2010 will not only bring the highest security in the mountains but also the hottest outfits for all fans and aficionados of powder snow and heavy ski runs and slopes.

Absolutely thrilled by the newest stylish winter collection of the Carrera retro line were not only the Austrian ski star Stephan Görgl and former ski star Alexandra Meissnitzer, but also national and local celebrities like Ernst Hausleitner, Rainer Pariasek, Miriam Weichselbraun, Sabine Mord, Vera Bönisch, Diana Lueger, Sandra Pires, Susanne Michel, Andrea Hroch, the fashion designers Thomas Kirchgrabner, Marcel Ostertag and Martina Rogy, Hubertus von Hohenlohe, Universal Music Austria boss Hannes Eder with his wife Katha Schinkinger, United International Pictures boss Mark Taylor and hotel manager Eva-Miriam Gerstner of the Schlosshotel Leonstain in Pörtschach.

All photographs by Philipp Hutter- www.philipphutter.com

www.carreraworld.com
www.smithoptics.com
www.safilo.com

The bar ‘Drings’ at The Ring, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel is very proud to present Ed Hardy Vodka, a new vodka within the present exclusive collection of vodkas at Drings, presented next to popular vodka brands like Roberto Cavalli, Absolut, Diva, Puriste and many more.

Distilled and filtered five times for purity first, this vodka is completed with the infusion of proprietary natural flavorings for a distinct character. Offering vodka fans a smooth unmatched taste of their favorite liquor, this vodka from Ed Hardy is sure to be a big hit.

Every bottle is hand made by skillful glass makers who bring to life the concept and designs of the brand. The tall, rectangular distinct bottles with the signature Ed Hardy tattoos are already fetching $30 on eBay (what’s more, they are completely empty bottles)! Imported from France, this exquisite vodka promises to offer your taste buds an experience like never before. For vodka-lovers definitely a new experience, for Ed Hardy fans: a new product for their collection? Sit back and Enjoy Pure Pleasure.

Visit www.edhardybeverages.com

1. Who are you?

In the recent past, I participated in various exhibitions in Austria and abroad; in 2009, I was nominated for the “item-art prize for painting” in Ulm, Germany, I took part in group exhibitions in Frankfurt/M. and St. Christoph, Austria, and in the near future, some of my works will be shown in the course of the “14. Art Auction” in Berlin under the patronage of film director Fatih Akin as well as at the 7th “Biennial of Contemporary Art” in Florence.
Additionally, I held a number of shows in Vienna, the current one, titled “Hunting now”, at Gallery Steiner.

2. What do you like about what you do?
In my paintings, I aim to display our present life, the daily life with its sometimes very special moments. Facing our fast-moving society, I think it’s necessary to conserve our current visual impressions, that’s just what painters have always done, and I enjoy depicting today’s lifestyle the way I see it.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
Being a freelance artist is always connected with pressure – financially and artistically. Sometimes it’s pretty annoying, especially if it’s only a self-made problem caused by one’s own perfectionism, on the other hand, being under strain can be really necessary for creating good and interesting works. So it’s quite an ambiguous thing, you hate it, but you need it, too.

4. Please tell us about your paintings and your aims?
Being inspired by the permanently changing urban lifestyle, I trace the ambivalent mixture of cultural tendencies and individual concepts of today’s people in my realistic paintings. Modern human beings are viewed against their social background, always ‘living under the lens’; and in the obtrusive, revealing style of close-ups and snapshots, complex situations are reduced to an exemplary detail or a fleeting moment while the circumstances remain untold.

5. Are you working with blogs and if yes, which ones and why?
No, I’m not working with blogs.

6. Is there a gallery where you can find your paintings?
From 18.8.-14.9.2009, Gallery Steiner (Kurrentgasse 4, 1010 Vienna, open Mo-Fr 11-20h, Sa 12-17h, Sun closed) shows my current solo exhibition titled “Hunting now” – at the same time, selected photographs by Stavros von Kazinyan can be seen there.

7. Which painting do you admire the most and why?
I admire Gottfried Helnwein’s work, and I guess “Mouse I” is my favourite – disturbing, overwhelming, just amazing.

8. Any comments you want to share with us?
In 2008, I really enjoyed working together with “The Ring Hotel“, Vienna – apart from two exhibition cooperations, I painted a commissioned work for the bar “Drings” which was a great and challenging task because the product had to meet various requirements: it should thematically and visually reflect the bar’s focus on extraordinary vodka brands and cocktails, and additionally, a neutral colouring was needed because it should not disturb the great effect of the ‘mathematics art’ installations by artist Markus Mooslechner, especially the spectacular “Drings”-eyecatcher, the wide bar front. At least, I created a photorealistic work with soft restrained colours, corresponding to the unique and very special atmosphere of the cosmopolitan, stylish, and highly fashionable “Drings”-bar.

Vodka, the dominant spirit of Eastern Europe, is becoming more and more popular among bars and its guests around the globe. One does experience a clear ‘hype’ regarding this spirit, which encouraged us to explain the spirit, providing our readers with some interesting sites and also promoting the over 40 vodka brands at our bar ‘Drings’ at ‘The Ring, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel’.

Vodka is made by fermenting and then distilling the sugars from a mash of pale grain or vegetal matter. Vodka is produced from grain, potatoes, molasses, beets and a variety of other plants. Rye and wheat are the classic grains for vodka, with most of the Russian vodkas being made from wheat although in Poland they are mostly made from a rye mash. Swedish and Baltic distillers are partial to wheat mashes.

Since vodka tends to be a neutral spirit, it lends itself to blending with flavors and fortifying other beverages. In the 19th century, high-proof ‘russian spirit’ was held in high esteem by sherry producers in Spain, who imported it to fortify their wines.

Flavored vodkas have been produced from the start, originally to mask the flavour of the first primitive vodkas, but later as a mark of the distillers skill. The Russian and Poles in particular still market dozens of flavors, some of the better known types are:

Kubanskaya, vodka flavoured with an infusion of dried lemon and orange peels. Zubrovka, vodka flavoured with buffalo grass, an aromatic grass favored by the herds of the rare European bison. Starka, also called ‘old vodka’, which can be infused with everything from fruit tree leaves to brandy, port, Malaga wine and dried fruit. Some brands are aged in oak casks. Pertsovka, pepper-flavored vodka, made with black peppercorns and red chilli peppers.

Where is vodka produced? Although the countries in Eastern Europe are famous for their vodkas, you also see an upcoming trend in countries like United Kingdom (Eristoff), the Netherlands (Ketel One, Effen, P.I.N.K., Van Gogh Vodka), Germany (Magic Crystal), in winemaking regions in France (Ciroc, Citadelle) and Italy (Roberto Cavalli), the US (Glacier, Purus, SKYY, Savvy, Square One – organic vodka) and Canada (Crystal Head, Pearl, Iceberg) produce non-flavored vodka, countries in the Caribbean and South America produce an amazing amount of vodkas (Amazon vodka from Brazil, Espiritu de Cana Vodka from El Salvador, Grandmaster Vodka from Trinidad and Tobago), all of it from molasses and Asia has a smattering of local vodkas, with the best coming from Japan (Kissui, Wokka Saki).

The history and significance of vodka…..the story is told that in A.D. 988 the Grand Prince of Kiev in what is now Ukraine decided that it was time for his people to convert from their pagan ways to one of the monotheistic religions that held sway in the civilized countries to the south. First came the Jewish rabbis. He listened to their arguments, was impressed, but ultimately sent them away after remarking that the followers of Judaism did not control any land. Next came the Moslem mullahs. Again he was impressed, both with their intellectual arguments and the success of Islam as a political and military force, but when he was told that Islam proscribed alcohol he was dismayed and sent them away. Finally the Christian priests came who informed him that not only could good Christians drink alcohol, but that wine was actually required for church rituals such as communion. That was good enough for the Grand Prince, and on his command his subjects converted en masse to Christianity.
The point of this historical anecdote is that the Slavic peoples of the north and their Scandinavian neighbours took alcoholic drinks very seriously. The extreme cold temperatures of winter inhibited the shipment of wines and beers, as these relatively low- proof beverages could freeze during transit. Until the introduction of distilling into Eastern Europe in the 1400s, strong drink was made by fermenting strong wines, meads, and beers, freezing them, and then drawing off the alcoholic slush from the frozen water.

The earliest distilled spirit in Eastern Europe was distilled from mead (honey wine) or beer and was called ‘perevara’. Vodka (from the Russian word ‘voda’, meaning water) was originally used to describe grain distillates that were used for medicinal purposes. As distilling techniques improved Vodka (Wodka in Polish) gradually came to be the accepted term for beverage spirit, regardless of its origin.

The worldwide web shows, besides numerous websites of the different vodka brands and vodka suppliers, some interesting and nice sites on vodka. Some examples are:

www.ivodka.com
the largest and most visited vodka information site. Here you find the diverse vodkas per country and per supplier. Keeps you really updated with regards to the ‘world of vodkas’.

www.vodka.com
a new website where one can become part of the first vodka community on the web.

www.vodkacocktailrecipes.com
a very nice site where one may find a large variety of vodka cocktails and corresponding recipes.

www.vodka-drinks.com
a site that features some nice vodka cocktails
and drinks but also explains how one can
produce its own vodka.

www.luxist.com
shows a nice posting on 7 of the craziest luxury vodkas.

www.drinkunique.com
shows a few nice and interesting postings on vodka.

At The Ring, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel we operate a unique vodka bar called Drings, one of Vienna’s hottest day- and nightspots and since the opening in November 2007, Vienna’s most favourite vodka bar. Drings really comes ‘alive’ at night when guests do experience the unique selection of vodkas, at the moment more than 40. Take the brand ‘DIVA’, the first vodka that is filtered with bort, the brand ‘Kaufmann Privat Collection’ from Russia, ‘Absolut Level’ from Sweden, produced with the special ‘batch distillation’ and therefore ‘Absolut Perfection’, ‘Xellent’ from Switzerland, ‘Puriste’ from Austria or the ‘Roberto Cavalli Luxury’, the first vodka produced in Italy by the famous designer Roberto Cavalli. Experience ‘Heavy Water’ from Norway, where the ingredient water comes from a down-earth see…pure as it is. Taste ‘Siwucha’ from Poland, a very unique vodka and not that easy to get, ‘Siriously’ from Sweden where the design of the bottle is pure art, the unique brand ‘Monopolowa’ from Austria made from Austrian potatoes or ‘Mernaya’ from Ukraine which is produced out of bread.

Of course ‘Drings’ serves more than just only vodkas…..come and see what else we have, from usual to unusual drinks and cocktails…welcome to the world of vodka…welcome to ‘Drings’.

www.drings-bar.com
www.theringhotel.com