Toast to the world's largest whisky bar
What's the story
The idea was neat, so to speak. A young man from Switzerland was suffering from a tummy bug in Mumbai when an Indian friend told him how to deal with it. It was this bit of advice, quite possibly proposed as a little joke, that set the idea rolling of the world's largest whisky bar. Here are the details.
The friendly advice
It all started from a stomach infection
In the late 80s, Claudio Bernasconi visited India to set up his own business, after he failed to get loan from Swiss banks. But Claudio developed a severe stomach infection. "I guess safe drinking water was an issue then. Then an Indian friend of his told him: 'Claudio, there's only one solution. Brush your teeth with whisky every morning," his son Sandro said.
The idea
Advice turned into the idea of setting-up the bar
The suggestion honed an interest and led to the setting-up of the bar. "My father was naive enough to believe that he wasn't being taken for a ride. What happened next was even more interesting. He took a liking for Indian made whisky. The next thing he knew was that he wanted to own a whisky bar," Sandro added.
Details
Devil's Place now has 2,500 types of whiskies
An idle brain may or may not be a devil's workshop, but it certainly led to 'Devil's Place'. Now Claudio, in his early sixties, keeps busy with the bar, travelling across the world, for the choicest of liquors. Touted as the world's largest whisky bar, with a collection of 2,500 types of whiskies, it's now a tourist draw in St Moritz.
Commendable
The bar is 22 years old now
The 22 years old bar has entered the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for its collection that ranges from blended whisky and Scotch to bourbon and single malts and Indian whisky. "We have a vintage collection that dates back to 1940. Our collection is diverse and the premium whisky bottles can sometimes cost up to Rs. 20.85 lakh," said Sandro.