Moved to tears, the usually composed Barkeeper stands Barkeeper stage. Stunned, surprised, emotional. "I had no idea that a Lifetime Award would be presented this year," smiles Markus Blattner, "just before my name was called, Wolfgang patted me on the shoulder. That's when it first occurred to me that it might be me." When his name is finally called, the room rises to its feet.
Minutes of applause. A sincere moment of recognition. "I feel incredibly honored," he says later, adding with dry humor: "Well, now that I've received the Lifetime Achievement Award, I can retire." But anyone who knows Blattner knows that he has no intention of stopping. The 55-year-old owner of the legendary Old Crow Bar in Zurich is not one to sit still. His demeanor is calm, his work precise, his hospitality unobtrusive.
That is precisely what makes him so great. "I feel old," he says with a laugh about the moment of honor, but the award is not a final curtain, but rather confirmation that what he is doing is right: craftsmanship with heart, joy in what he does, and genuine hospitality.
From merchant to host
Blattner's path to the bar was not a straight one. He originally did a commercial apprenticeship and worked in an office until he realized that something was missing. "After returning from Australia, I knew I didn't want to work like that anymore," he recalls. After spending about a year and a half abroad—attending language school in Australia and traveling in Thailand and Indonesia—he realized that he wanted to do something manual. He had already been drawn to the bar counter before that.
Whether at club parties or village events, where he served his first drinks as a teenager. But it wasn't until he was 27 that he took his first professional job at a bar, at the Widder Hotel in Zurich. "If you're going to do it, do it right" was already clear to him back then. He repeated the bar school course to refresh his knowledge—which, incidentally, was still free at the time—and started as a commis de bar at the Widder Hotel Zurich in 1996. "After the course, I thought I knew everything.
But my boss at the time had a different opinion... "Forget everything you've learned. We're starting from scratch," he told me. After working on cruise ships and expedition vessels, where he met his wife Petra, Blattner returned to the Widder in 2000 as head bartender.
He shaped this position for 13 years. In 2013, he took the step into self-employment: together with Petra and partner Ivan Paszti, he opened the Old Crow Bar, just a few meters away from his old workplace. "It was never a problem for me," he recalls. "But the management at the time didn't take it well. They found out about it in the newspaper," he smiles.
Attitude over showmanship
Blattner is not a man of grand gestures. "I'm a craftsman, not an entertainer," he says of himself. "I am a passive host. If someone wants to chat, I am open to it, but guests have to approach me." For him, hospitality means above all attentiveness: "It starts with a greeting and ends with a farewell." Many guests are surprised when they are bid farewell as they leave.
Do what you enjoy doing. Life is too short for anything else.
Markus Blattner
"This small gesture sticks in your mind." There is music at the Old Crow, but it only plays in the background. "It's a bar, not a club," says Blattner simply. The drinks speak for themselves. "A Negroni shouldn't taste different every day," he emphasizes. Consistency, precision, and attitude—that's his recipe for success. Today, the Old Crow is one of the most renowned bars in Switzerland, known for its 1,700 spirits, its attention to detail, and its team, which has grown together over the years.
Philosophy and future
Despite his routine, Blattner remains curious. He is interested in cuisine, flavors, and craftsmanship: "I would have been interested in training as a chef. I'm not a good cook, but I enjoy it." His vision for the future of the bar scene: "Back to basics—just like in the kitchen. Less frills, more essence."
His message to the next generation is clear: "Do what you love. Life is too short for anything else." When he looks to the future, he remains realistic and humorous. "I hope I can continue working behind the bar for a long time to come. And when I can't do that anymore, I'll just do more hosting." A sentence that shows who Markus Blattner is: a man who loves what he does.
