Foodpairing in one sentence
Foodpairing shows which ingredients harmonise through shared aroma molecules. At EL BART, this becomes the art of distilling: botanicals, tonic and garnish are chosen so the drink gets a clear direction in the glass.
EL BART Flight Manual
The science behind the perfect gin moment
A warm evening. Ice in the glass. Moonlight. Fireflies over the garden. A citronella candle in the air. In moments like these, every detail counts: gin, tonic, temperature, ice, garnish, glass and balance.
EL BART is made for people who want to experience why a drink works. For people who give with intention. For people who plan their pleasure without overthinking it. For people who want to feel it from the very first sip: everything is in place.
“The whole secret behind our success: science, sharpened by instinct, nose and palate.”
Dietmar HölscherMaster Distiller — named Best Gin Distiller of the Year 2024 in Hong Kong at the China Wine & Spirits Awards.
Why every EL BART is composed for its job in the drink
A summery gin & tonic calls for freshness. A refined Aviation cocktail calls for elegance, floral depth and a precise citrus line. An Alexander cocktail calls for power, bitterness and structure, so that cream, milk or egg can carry the drink.
The EL BART gins were born from this logic. Each one has a job. Each follows its own aroma route. Each was developed for specific drinks, moments and serves.
The perfect drink begins with the right decision — before the first pour.
Which EL BART suits your moment?
The Gin Finder on the home page guides you to the right EL BART — for gin & tonic, cocktails, special evenings and gifts with character.
Dietmar Hölscher: from avant-garde cuisine to aviation gin
Before EL BART was in the bottle, Dietmar Hölscher moved through a world where flavour was taken apart, tested and reassembled: molecular cuisine, avant-garde, textures, aromas, new techniques.
With nova kuirejo, Dietmar was among the early German pioneers of this movement. The cooking school was considered the first outside Spain to specialise in molecular cuisine. It was all about liquid nitrogen, sous-vide, gelling, emulsifying, molecular cocktails and products like ProEspuma, Promilk Shake, Glow, Siphon Injection, VIF Marinator or Rotadis.
Dietmar learned to work with Texturas, equipment and avant-garde techniques directly from the Spanish masters of creative cuisine — above all Ferran Adrià. In his later work, training, development and supplying top kitchens came together. Names like Eckart Witzigmann, Sven Elverfeld, Juan Amador, Thomas Bühner, Ferran Adrià, Ramon Martinez and Jordi Puigvert stand for this world: cuisine at the highest level, where every aroma has a job.
That is exactly where EL BART comes from: from curiosity, science, experience and the courage to think flavour through to the end.
Foodpairing: the aroma map behind EL BART
Foodpairing starts with a simple question: which aromas speak to each other?
There is real science behind this question. Ingredients hold volatile aroma molecules. Some of them are shared with completely different ingredients. Foodpairing analyses such aroma profiles using, among other things, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The profiles are then compared to make aromatic connections visible. The idea behind it: ingredients harmonise especially well when they share key aromas.
This explains why unusual combinations can work:
- Cherry and asparagus share floral and green aroma compounds.
- White chocolate and caviar work through creamy, fatty, caramel and salty compounds.
- Strawberry can harmonise with chocolate, parmesan or basil, because different aroma bridges form.
- Artichoke, grapefruit, basil, rosemary and tonic show how foodpairing also leads into the world of gin and drinks.
- Jamón Ibérico, scallop, pear, olive oil, dark chocolate, strawberry and parmesan show how far aroma logic can reach when top chefs leave the classic comfort zone.
At EL BART, this logic is transferred to gin. Here, botanicals are not an ingredient list. They are direction, tension, lift, depth and finish.
- Citrus lifts.
- Bitterness gives backbone.
- Herbs set the course.
- Blossoms give elegance.
- Berries open the moment.
Science provides the aroma map. Dietmar’s nose, palate and instinct choose the course.
Science and instinct
Science shows possibilities. It explains why aromas come together, why a bitter note carries a creamy drink, or why too much citrus can throw a fine cocktail off balance.
Instinct decides whether the drink is alive.
A gin can work on paper and still fall flat in the glass. That is why at EL BART the finished moment is what counts: the glass with ice, the tonic, the temperature, the garnish, the first sip, the lingering finish.
An EL BART has to hold up in real life — at the bar, in the garden, over dinner, as a gift, in the special moment.
The tonic: the co-pilot in the glass
A gin & tonic is made of few ingredients. That is exactly why each one is decisive.
The tonic determines carbonation, bitterness, sweetness, citrus pressure and length. It can open the gin, carry it and lengthen it. It can also make the drink heavy, sweet or restless.
That is why we did not judge tonics for EL BART in theory, but tested them in the finished glass: cold, with ice, with the respective gins and with the garnishes we recommend.
These work especially well with our gins:
Schweppes Dry Tonic Water
Schweppes is the historical reference among the great tonic brands. Jacob Schweppe pioneered carbonated drinks in 1783; Indian Tonic Water was introduced at Schweppes in 1870.
In our EL BART tests, Schweppes showed the most stable carbonation and a very clear, classic tonic structure. That gives the gin & tonic pressure, freshness and length.
Fever-Tree Indian & Mediterranean Tonic Water
Fever-Tree works with quinine and botanical oils, including bitter orange oils, and is designed to accompany premium spirits.
At EL BART, the Indian Tonic Water works especially well when the drink should feel fine, elegant and cleanly composed. The Mediterranean Tonic Water adds floral, herbal notes — a lovely partner for Aviation with rosemary or basil.
Our tonic rules
| Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Use the tonic ice-cold | Cold keeps tension and freshness in the drink. |
| Plenty of ice in the glass | Lots of ice keeps it cold longer and dilutes more slowly. |
| Prefer fresh, small bottles | Freshly opened, the tonic brings more carbonation. |
| Always glass bottles, never plastic | The plastic surface is rougher than glass — so the carbonation escapes faster, and over time plastic gives off a very slightly musty taste. |
| Pour gently | The drink stays more alive. |
| Choose the garnish deliberately | The garnish steers aroma — it doesn’t just decorate the drink. |
Garnish: small ingredient, big direction
At EL BART, the garnish is part of the drink. It decides which side of the gin comes forward.
| EL BART Gin | Recommended garnish | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| ZestWing | Lime | Freshness, citrus, summery lift |
| Aviation | Grapefruit | Bitter citrus, elegance, clear cocktail tension |
| Aviation | Rosemary | Herbal spice, depth, Mediterranean precision |
| Aviation | Basil | Green freshness, floral tension, fine bar character |
| JetWing | Grapefruit | Bitterness, structure, depth |
| SkyBerry | Fresh berries | Fruit, colour, lightness |
Lime lifts. Grapefruit sharpens. Rosemary leads. Basil opens. Berry glows.
Why cucumber stays out of EL BART
Cucumber became world-famous through a certain British gin style. Hendrick’s officially works with cucumber and rose as its aroma code.
EL BART flies a different aroma route.
A cucumber brings green, watery notes into the glass. These notes settle over the precision of our gins. ZestWing needs lime freshness. Aviation wins with grapefruit, rosemary or basil. JetWing needs bitter citrus. SkyBerry needs fresh berries.
“Cucumber in an EL BART is fog in the cockpit.”
That’s our rule. Clear, simple — break it, and the drink crashes.
Why these rules are worth it
A perfect gin moment is born from attention.
- The right gin.
- The right tonic.
- The right glass.
- Plenty of ice.
- The matching garnish.
- A moment that’s given room.
EL BART is for people who are looking for exactly that. People who don’t give away an interchangeable evening. People who want to show someone: I put thought into this. People who pour themselves a drink and want to feel that every detail is right.
You don’t have to be a gin nerd. Curiosity is enough. Standards are enough. The wish to make the moment great is enough.
This Flight Manual is your lighthouse. For the garden evening under moonlight. For the first drink after a long day. For the gift to someone who deserves good taste. For the moment that needs its own course.
The perfect EL BART moment tastes planned — and feels effortless.
Good to know
Schweppes
Schweppes is one of the great historical brands of the carbonation and tonic world. For EL BART, what counts in the glass is above all the pressure: in our own tests, Schweppes showed the most stable carbonation and a classic bitterness that works especially well with our gins.
Cucumber
Cucumber became famous through a certain gin style. At EL BART, it leads the aroma off course. Our garnishes are tuned to the EL BART gins: lime, grapefruit, rosemary, basil and fresh berries.
Find your EL BART course
Whether it’s a summer evening, an Aviation cocktail, an Alexander cocktail, a gift or a special gin & tonic: the right serve begins with the right gin.