[Taipei Walk] Antique Bar 1900

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I also tried to practice English writing, but I still can't grasp the atmosphere~

News from a friend led us to break into the bar, which had not even officially opened yet, late at night. Not only European style, but also the European style of the golden age of the 1900s. On the wall is Mucha, which is Klimt, and behind the bar is Irish whiskey, which is Absinthe from France. When you look up, there is a large bookcase on the second floor. The books were picked by the boss from Belgium, including Jane Eyre, Dorian Grey, and more French books that I couldn't understand.

There are many antiques in the store, the radio is from 1912, and the whole set of typewriters are different in age, but they are not afraid of being used. There is even a table and a stack of paper in the store. Heart words. The piano is also available for playing. The slightly loose keys can feel that this is a piano that has been played by the baby. It is said that if you play the moonlight of Debussy, you can get a free drink.

I don't drink whisky, the boss said, why don't you try Abbes? Look at me, and explain that Abbes was actually a very popular single-drinking category for a long time, until the rise of whisky replaced it. A good Abbey is a light blue color, not a green gargle like a booze bar. Saliva color. I was persuaded to try the traditional drinking method, pour out a little wine, put sugar on top of the cup, and then drip the sugar cube with ice water to dilute the wine to the concentration I like. The taste is completely different from what I remember before, with sweet grass and anise flavors, a bit like Turkish Raki.

It was really a magical night. I walked up to the third floor of Watsons Pharmacy in the old-fashioned neighborhood of Dadaocheng, and suddenly encountered such a European bar. I felt like stepping back in time. When the time came, there were many lanterns on the street, and there was a misty dreaming feeling between the light and shadow.

For those who have a taste for Irish Whiskey or the old fashion way of drinking Absinthe, a new bar in town may just quench your thirst :) The Antique Bar 1900 is hidden away in central Dadaocheng, and brings one from 1860's Taiwan right into the European era alongside Mucha and Klimt.

The bar is on the 3rd floor of the first Watsons in Taiwan. Follow the secret stairway up and you'll find yourself surrounded by bookshelves lined with fine reads, a stoic piano, and a shelf chattering with typewriters! The Antique Bar 1900 is still trying things out, so the drink options are limited to whiskey, absinthe, and Belgian beer.

The boss poured out a shot of French Absinthe into a delicate glass, placed a sugar cube on top, and asked me to drip in ice water to adjust the taste to my liking. It tastes so different from the neon green shots I tossed down my throat in times well forgotten. This absinthe has a delightful grassy smell mixed with a starry anise scent, reminding me of the Turkish raki but sweeter on the tongue.

We walked back out into the night, the streets shining with lantern light set up for the coming Lunar New Year. The night with a library full of English and French literature along side Belgian beer suddenly felt a bit like being wrapped up in a gentle and pleasant dream. Or perhaps it was simply the absinthe?