Das Schmale Handtuch

Das Schmale Handtuch is a bar in Winterthur, Switzerland, described by its own operators as the city's oldest bar and a meeting place that has served guests for more than a century. It is located at Turmhaldenstrasse 1, centrally near Winterthur's main railway station, and its famously tight quarters are presented as part of its charm, encouraging a sociable and relaxed atmosphere. The establishment is closely associated with a single signature drink, the Serpentin — formerly known as Rasputin — a house beverage made from a combination of spirits and sparkling wine that has earned the bar recognition well beyond the canton's borders. Today the Serpentin is offered in nineteen different variations, and the bar's broader drinks menu also includes a wide selection of beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks and more, with staff on hand to help guests choose. The venue traces its site back to the Steigmühle, a mill first mentioned in documents in 1268, which passed into private hands in 1525 and ceased milling operations in 1876. In 1897 the first tavern, "Zur Steigmühle", opened on the premises, and the site has been serving guests in one form or another ever since. In 2009 Daniel Ziroli took over the bar, and the current operation continues the long hospitality tradition of the address. The bar also runs a daily early-evening promotion: between 16:00 and 19:30, under the motto "La dolce vita", guests receive a small Mediterranean apéro plate free with their after-work beer. As a business, Das Schmale Handtuch is a privately run, single-location hospitality venue rather than a chain or a listed company. Its identity rests on continuity, locality and its proprietary drink: the Serpentin functions as a kind of edible (or rather drinkable) trademark, and the bar markets itself as the home of the classic Winterthur drink. The establishment is documented in Wikidata as a bar in Winterthur, Switzerland, and maintains its own website with reservation options by online request or telephone.

The site occupied by Das Schmale Handtuch has a long history that predates the bar itself. It was originally the Steigmühle, a mill whose first documentary mention dates to 1268. In 1525 the mill passed into private hands, and in 1876 milling operations came to an end. The following year, 1897, saw the opening of the first tavern on the premises, "Zur Steigmühle", marking the beginning of the address's continuous use as a place of hospitality. According to the bar's own account, guests have been served within the walls of the Schmale Handtuch for more than a century, and the establishment presents itself as Winterthur's oldest bar. Over the generations the bar became established as a meeting point for young and old alike, valued for its atmosphere and for its notorious house drink, the Serpentin. The drink was formerly known as Rasputin and is made by combining spirits with sparkling wine; it has given the bar considerable fame beyond the canton's borders. The Serpentin is described as having had its distinctive character for over ninety years, and it is now available in nineteen different variations. The bar's drinks menu extends well beyond the Serpentin, offering a broad selection of beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks and more. In 2009 Daniel Ziroli took over the bar, continuing its operation as a privately run, single-location venue. Under his ownership the bar has maintained its traditional identity while promoting its signature drink and daily early-evening "La dolce vita" offer, in which guests receive a complimentary Mediterranean apéro plate with their after-work beer between 16:00 and 19:30. The bar remains centrally located at Turmhaldenstrasse 1 near Winterthur's railway station, and its tight space continues to be presented as a feature that fosters a sociable, relaxed mood. It is recorded in Wikidata as a bar in Winterthur, Switzerland.

• 2009

  Daniel Ziroli takes over the bar.

• 1897

  The first tavern, "Zur Steigmühle", opens on the premises.

• 1876

  Milling operations at the Steigmühle come to an end.

• 1525

  The Steigmühle passes into private hands.

• First documentary mention of the Steigmühle mill on the site.

A historic, locally rooted neighbourhood bar positioned as Winterthur's oldest bar and the home of the city's classic house drink, the Serpentin.

• Serpentin

  The bar's signature house drink, formerly known as Rasputin, made from spirits and sparkling wine; available in 19 variations.

• Beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks

  A broad drinks menu beyond the house drink.

• Apéro plate

  A small Mediterranean apéro plate offered free with the after-work beer during the daily "La dolce vita" hours (16:00–19:30).

• La dolce vita

1. 1Das Schmale Handtuch - Winterthurs älteste Bardasschmalehandtuch.ch
2. 2Über uns | Das Schmale Handtuchdasschmalehandtuch.ch
3. 3Das schmale Handtuch - Wikidatawikidata.org