St. Germain Bowling

Tuesday the 2. of February Gilles Bensabeur, from St. Germain, invited to bowling and drinks in collaboration with Morten and Oscar from Sprit and co.

Avenue Hotel was represented by two bartenders, Morten Dinitzen and Kenneth Christensen.

The event began with a presentation about St. Germain by Gilles Bensabeur. St. Germain is a elderflower liqueur all natural, made from 100% fresh, handpicked elderflowers. It has low sugar content, roughly half that of other liqueurs.

During the evening we got the St. Germain signature cocktail served.

Afterwards everyone went bowling and Team Avenue came to win. Starting preliminary round we were 12 teams and the best six team went to the semi-finals. Team Avenue, Morten and I, started with three strikes and 1 spare and won first round with 133 point.

The second round, people began concentrating a bit more and the scores got higher. The Avenue team, also started to get known as the Flintstones, got lucky won this round as well with 138 points, only 1 point more than number 2.

In the final Zoo bar, Café Rubies and Avenue Hotel were going to fight for the title. Morten and I took a small lead from the start that continued until last rounds of shooting. The team before us, Café Rubies made 2 strikes and a 7. To win we had to make a strike… and we did – Japadapaduuuu – as the Flintstones would have said. We won scoring 168 points in the finale. The first price was a
St. Germain bathrobe.

Morten and I had to get up early the next day, so after the bowling victory, a wonderful St. Germain night ended for us. Thank you Gilles Bensabeur and Morten and Oscar from Sprit & Co.

DJ and journalist Katrine Ring mixes classical music and modern electronic music at Avenue Hotel

“It feels great to rattle and shake the crown jewels a little bit,” DJ and journalist Katrine Ring tells me as we make ourselves comfortable in the plush sofas in Avenue Hotel’s lounge bar.
She presents classical music in innovative and interesting ways at their Yellow Lounge-sessions every second Wednesday from 8 pm to 11 pm. On alternate Wednesdays the task is performed by her musical partner, DJ and journalist Peer Kaae.

Classical, Electronic and Film Music
“We introduce classical music in new and less pretentious ways,” says Katrine.
The record company Deutsche Grammofon introduced the Yellow Lounge-concept in year 2000.
They wanted to take classical music outside the daunting walls of the concert hall and introduce it to new audiences in alternative and relaxed surroundings. The music could be presented by DJs, live performers, VJs … or at times all three together. The concept spread to cities like Berlin, Vienna and Stockholm, and three years ago Universal Records launched Yellow Lounge in Copenhagen.

Live Classical Performers
“At times we have live music as well, for instance Andreas Birk, a classically trained bass-player, who’ll come by with some of his musical playmates,” Katrine tells me.
“They’ll play everything from tango to jazz to classic but on classical instruments. It’s terrific, as I have to relate to that, and it forces me to rethink how I play my records. I love it!”

Yellow Lounge invites you to chill in front of the open fire at Avenue Hotel

The Atmosphere is Ever so Nice
“We’re lucky to have Avenue Hotel as our base. The hotel attracts a lot of the people whom you’d often classify as ‘the creative class’. They are 30 years+ and are going places with their lives,” Katrine explains.
“Typically the people who come by will be a mix of hotel guests – who often come down from their rooms and sit quietly with a book – and groups of people who come because they know I’m playing. The latter will chat and not hear much of the music but the atmosphere is ever so nice…”.

Come summer, the Yellow Lounge-sessions will move out into the hotel's patio

Yellow Lounge in the Summer Nights
Further to the popular lounge sessions every Wednesday night Katrine and Per are planning together with Avenue Hotel to take the Yellow Lounge-concept into the Danish summer nights on the hotel’s charming patio.
“We’ll have great music and nice barbecues,” says Katrine, “I think quite a few of the locals will be interested in joining us as well …”.
As a local myself I can only say I found the idea of lounging on Avenue Hotel’ wooden deck with the lush bamboo swaying in the summer breeze quite appealing. Actually so appealing that I snuck one of the hotel’s press photos in here to give you an idea of what is to come …

What Music Would You Like to Hear at Yellow Lounge?
Katrine, Peer and Avenue Hotel constantly aim to develop the Yellow Lounge-concept and would like to have your input.
Do you have any special pieces of music or perhaps a special theme for a Yellow Lounge-session you’d like them to consider?
Send your proposals to info@avenuehotel.dk and enter the draw for a copy of Katrine and Peer’s mix-CD ‘theavenuefeeling – Yellow Lounge’.
Replies should be received by 1 March 2010. The winner will be informed directly by e-mail.

'theavenuefeeling' mix-CD conveys the atmosphere of the live Yellow Lounge-sessions

More About Yellow Lounge
“I was like a kid in a candy-store, when Universal Music asked me to mix a CD with music from their amazing archives,” Katrine exclaims.
And even to my untrained ear the mix-CD ‘theavenuefeeling – Yellow Lounge’ conveys the pleasant atmosphere she and Peer aim to create at the live DJ-sessions.
Check out the CD the next time you visit Avenue Hotel or find more information about it and the upcoming live DJ-sessions at Yellow Lounge.

“I Love My Brain” the pay-off says on the bike helmet from the company Nutcase.
Andreas William Hansen totally agrees: “You have to be crazy not to use a helmet when you bike around the city.”
He adds, “It’s the one part of your body which cannot be replaced and you cannot live without.”

Andreas William Hansen prefers the classic bike helmet from Nutcase (DKK 499)

One in Three Copenhageners Bicycle to Work
Andreas works part time as a night porter at Avenue Hotel, while finishing his studies in economics and finance. In his spare time he’s a keen mountain biker and he naturally belongs to the group of one out of three Copenhageners who bicycle to work or school.
We’ve gone round the corner from Avenue Hotel to the local bike shop Batak to look for interesting bike accessories to inspire you for the next time you go shopping for souvenirs in Copenhagen.
“The bike culture in Copenhagen makes quite an impact on a lot of our guests,” Andreas tells me.
“Especially the Americans are impressed by our infrastructure. They just don’t have bike lanes like ours back home.”

You can change the cover on the bike helmet from Yakkay (DKK 750)

Fashionable helmets from Yakkay
“I remember when these came out a couple of years ago,” he says about the fashionable helmets from Yakkay.
“They kind of made it OK for everbody to wear helmets, and they are cool as you can actually change the cover if you get tired of it.”

The fashionable Yakkay helmets have replaceable covers

... a teenager would probably go for the graffiti version (DKK 499)

Edgy Graffiti Helmets
Andreas adds: “Personally I prefer the more classic bike helmet from Nutcase but I think a teenager would go for the edgier graffiti version of the helmet.”

The 'I-Bike-CPH'-t-shirt is Andreas' favourite souvenir

Andreas’ Favourite Souvenir
However Andreas’ favourite souvenir is not for sale . It’s an ‘I Bike CPH’-t-shirt, which is part of the window display at Batak.
“The ‘I-Bike-CPH’-t-shirt would make a great souvenir. Also it’s very easy to pack and bring home,” he says.
Store-owner, Martin Batak, politely explains: “It was given to me by the City of Copenhagen to promote Copenhagen as a city of bicyclists.”
He adds, “You are not the first who wants to buy it though.”

The Little Red Roadster is a great gift for kids (DKK 1,099)

Great Gifts for Kids
“That would be a great gift for my niece. She turns three in a couple of days,” Andreas exclaims when he sees the Little Red Roadster from Radio Flyer.
“It reminds me of the little scooter I had, when I was a kid…”.

Claudia Bhimra likes the pretty Bike Cap which keeps the seat of her bike dry (DKK 125)

Gift Ideas for Teenagers
While buying gifts for little kids is a piece of cake, teenagers can be a bit more difficult to please. So I joined forces with Claudia Bhimra (aged 14) and Lucas Bhimra (aged 12) in order to find cool bike accessories for their age group.
“The Bike Cap is quite pretty and it makes a nice change from the plastic bag that most people use to cover their seat, when it’s wet,” Claudia says.

Lucas Bhimra prefers the Cup Holder for hot chocolate (DKK 150)

Lucas goes for the cup holder: “It’s a great idea that you can have a drink while you bike around the city,” and adds with a sly smile, “I’d probably use it for hot chocolate instead of coffee though.”

What are Your Favourite Souvenirs from Copenhagen?
Did you find a great souvenir last time you were in Copenhagen?
Or at another destination?
Send us your ideas at info@avenuehotel.dk and let us know.
We’ve aquired a couple of the sought after ‘I-Bike-CPH’-t-shirts and we will reward the three best ideas with a t-shirt each, so remember to add whether you’d prefer S-M-L or XL.
Ideas should be received by 1 March 2010. The winners will be informed directly by e-mail.

Copenhagen aims to become the best city for bicyclists in the world

More About ‘I Bike CPH’
The people behind the ‘I Bike CPH-campaign inform us that you can actually buy their popular t-shirts at the information desk at the City Hall in Copenhagen. The information desk is open Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The t-shirts cost DKK 70 and are available in black or white.

All prices are in Danish kroner, inclusive of Danish VAT.
Andreas’ bike is his own, Claudia and Lucas’ bike is a ‘Johnny Loco’ available at Batak.

Bar Manager Kenneth Christensen shakes it up at Avenue Hotel

“I love making my guests happy – especially when it’s with a cocktail I’ve composed myself,” Kenneth Christensen tells me. He is the bar manager at Avenue Hotel and has invited me with three friends to join him at one of the hotel’s cocktail tastings.
Further to a keen interest in tasting and developing new flavour sensations for his guests Kenneth Christensen is a certified bartender from the most highly regarded bartender school in Denmark, Barkursus.dk.

Kenneth is a certified bartender and masters the art of flaring

Kenneth has developed the Cocktail Tastings in co-operation with General Manager Mai Kappenberger, and aims to give the participants a good time while expanding their knowledge about liquor and cocktails.

The History of Cocktails
“Basil 8 is currently one of the top ten cocktails in the world’s leading cocktail city, New York,” Kenneth Christensen informs us about the first of the six cocktails he serves.
He goes on to tell the history of the cocktail from its humble beginnings more than two hundred years ago, when it was mostly a question of disguising the poor quality of the liquor, to its current culmination spurred on by Hollywood glamour and television series like ‘Sex and the City’.

Kenneth entertains with anecdotes and party games in Avenue Hotel's lounge

Find Your Favourite Cocktail
“You’ll get to taste six very different cocktails allowing you to find your favourite kind of liquor,” Kenneth Christensen says as we are lounging in front of the open fire place. As the evening continues he entertains us with anecdotes and little party games. This leads to the final tasting competition which entitles me, as the happy winner, to a goodie bag from Avenue Hotel.

Will Share his Knowledge
Kenneth Christensen loves to experiment and try out new products, trends and tastings. Recently he has been experimenting with the organic Pure Green Vodka, cocktails based on the Japanese rice wine Sake and the sought after ‘Averound the World Cocktails’ tastings, which each time takes the participants to a new country or region. In future he will share his insider knowledge and access to new trends on Avenue Hotel’s Blog. Do join him.

Kenneth will share his knowledge about cocktails with you

What Cocktails Would You Like to Know More About?
Kenneth Christensen, bar manager at Avenue Hotel, will write about new trends, liquors and cocktails on Avenue Hotel’s Blog, and is curious to know what you would like to hear more about:
- New products like the Pure Green Vodka?
- Events at Avenue Hotel like the ‘Averound the World Cocktails’?
- New cocktail trends such as Japanese rice wine, Sake?
- Or something completely different?
Let us know at info@avenuehotel.dk and enter the draw for two free passes to our new ‘Cocktail Course for Beginners’ (Value: DKK 800).
Replies should be received by 15 February 2010. The winner will be informed directly by e-mail.

Have Your Own Cocktail Tasting
If the above has inspired you to participate in a Cocktail Tasting with friends or business associates please find more information about the tastings or send an e-mail to info@avenuehotel.dk

This is the first in a series of posts explaining in detail how to make a variety of cocktails found on Avenue Hotel’s Drinks & Cocktails Card.

Whether at home or at a bar, whenever you go about making a cocktail, you might as well do it in a manner assuring you’ll get the best result possible. The tools you’ll need are few but essential. You shouldn’t be without a shaker, a strainer, a stirring spoon or a muddler and you can never get too much ice. Furthermore, a few general tips are to…

1. always chill the glass in question with ice before preparing your cocktail,
2. once you begin adding liquids to your ice filled shaker/mixing glass you want to speed up the process in order to dillute the cocktail as little as possible. The cocktail should be cold, not watered down, and
3. don’t shake for too long. Again, the object is to get the cocktail to its appropriate temperature, not turn it into an ice cream.

Let’s start out with Avenue Hotel’s highly acclaimed and much appraised (by the bar manager, that is) signature cocktail:

Yellow Lounge (cocktail glass)

• 2 cl. Cachaca
• 3 cl. Galliano
• 4 cl. Orange juice
• 3 teaspoons honey

All ingredients are shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass, then garnished with a halved lemon wedge. Aside from looking neat the scent of the lemon (as it is with most garnish) is part of the equation in providing an experience for one’s senses. Also, as a result a bit of lemon juice may then be squeezed into the cocktail after it is served, should one seek a slightly more sour sting to it.

Rasmus/
New recipe 2009 Kenneth

Starting from today, Avenue Hotel features its own football (soccer, for you crazy Americans) team, aptly named Team Avenue, in the world of Hattrick, probably the world’s largest web based online football manager game currently holding a million active users.

You know of the world wide web? Good. Football, that’s the game invented by the English where a total of 22 players chase an inflated leather ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win. Man-ag-er [man-i-jer] -noun: 2. a person who manages: the manager of our track team. And game is either something you shoot or something you play, in this case the latter. There you have it.

Who cares about hyped online phenomenons like Second World when you can spread your public relation tentacles to a place where you micromanage the day to day affairs of a fantasy football team in your country of choice. Now, that’s what life is all about (well, that and reproduction, but I digress).

Playing in stylish pink jerseys Team Avenue is set on a path to Glory, and will without a doubt rise swiftly from the lowly pits of one of Denmark’s division IXs to (relatively) soon (i.e. within a few generations) be among the very best teams IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE! With Avenue Hotel’s General Manager, Mai Kappenger, a reknowned fan of German football team, Bayern Munich, as official team manager, what could possibly go wrong?

Rasmus

Nick Cave – The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane

Only knowing Nick Cave by his name and not by his music, and not having bothered to research much beforehand, I entered Danish Edison Theatre to watch the play “Nick Cave” not really knowing what to expect. A little less than hundred minutes later I left the theatre, a feeling of the chill outside air against my skin mixed with sheer euphoria from having witnessed an enthralling and truly remarkable play.

The Aarhus based theatre troupe guided the audience through sixteen of Nick Cave’s songs, having woven a spectacular blanket populated by grotesque figures and characters in the power of their instincts, with God and religion as constantly recurring themes.

It didn’t take long before I completely surrendered myself, being granted one of those rare experiences only found in theatres. I am now an official fan of Nick Cave.

Rasmus

The first Wednesday each month DJ Per Kaae will spice up the Yellow Lounge evenings with his Movie Music Quiz. Guests and visitors are invited to join in, competing to win prizes from Universal Music and Avenue Hotel.

Allegedly, the difficulty of the questions range from somewhat trivial to downright mind boggling. According to reliable sources in the music industry, the answers to the questions are entrusted for safekeeping to the same people who guard over the Holy Grail and the secrets of the True Origin of the Species.

You won’t find a cosier place to spend a Wednesday evening. Sit by the fireplace together with a few friends, enjoy a beer, a good cup of coffee, a cognac or a cocktail while quizzing with Per Kaae and the ever helpful Avenue Team who’ll be ready to cater to your needs.

Rasmus

Tuesday, September 30th, LIFE (the Faculty of Life Science).

There was much rejoicing among the attendants when the Municipality of Frederiksberg declared Avenue Hotel the winner of its prestigious Business Award. The Mayor of Frederiksberg, Mads Lebech, presented the diploma and a sculpture for the mantlepiece made by local sculptor, Carsten Jensen, to Avenue Hotel’s Commander in Chief, Mai Kappenberger.

Copenhagen Wednesdays no longer need to be dull and uneventful. Together with Deutsche Grammophon, Avenue Hotel presents its weekly Yellow Lounge evenings where celebrated DJs, Peer Kaae and Katrine Ring, take turns to mix classical music in the laid back surroundings of the hotel lounge.

The Yellow Lounge concept was born in Berlin at the dawn of the new millenium, the idea being to take the classical music out of the concert halls and bring it to people in a different form and in new, exciting environments.

Come and try out the unique concept free of charge (!) every Wednesday from 20:00 – 23:00 at the Avenue Hotel lounge bar. Lean back in the couches with a cocktail, close your eyes and let the DJ treat you to an outstanding experience.

See you there!

Rasmus