Since opening its doors in September 2014, Berlin’sย Kaschk has been enjoying a superhero-like double identity: By day, the Mitte cafe is a specialty coffee shop (initially linked to Oslo Kaffebar but now independent) serving up hometownย Bonanza Coffee as well as guest Nordic beans such as Swedenโs Koppiย and Norwayโs Kaffa and Solberg & Hansen, from a Kees van der Westen Spirit Triplette.ย As day gives way to night,ย though, Kaschk transforms into a craft-beer bar. Twelveย beers rotate on tap and there areย three shelves of imported bottles, including many brews making their Berlin debuts thanks to Kaschkโs focus on German and Nordic craft brews.
The spacious cafe/bar was designed by the former owners with the assistance of localย carpenters, and an attention to complementary textures and craft. A daytime-worker crowd spreads over long wooden tables or the many solo spots hugging the windows, while an eye-catching low bar encourages interaction between customersย and staff. The lights dim as the day ends, and tourists and Berliners chasing fancy ales move in.
Acknowledgingย itsย double-identity, Kaschk is named for its nearly eponymous drinkโa Nordic cocktail calledย Karsk (the spelling havingย been tweaked for German speakers) traditionally made of 1 partย coffee and 1 part moonshine, and popular since the 1800s. A mention of its name today seems to elicit shudders of fear and delight. According to Wikipedia, the name derives from the Old Norse adjective “karskr,” meaning healthy, vigorous, or agileโwhich feels like a wicked Nordic joke.
โIn the traditional recipe you start with a coffee cup: you put a coin in the bottom, and then you fill up the cup with coffee until you canโt see the coin anymore. Then you pour in moonshine or vodka until you see the coin again,โ says manager Katrine Finsand with a devilish grin. โThe thing is, itโs a bit of a hoax, because normally you wonโt see the coin again. Itโs too far down for the light to go through.โ
At Kaschk, the perilous elixirย is created with Stolichnaya vodka (in place of moonshine)ย and hot filter coffee from the BUNN batch brewer, beans ground on a Mahlkรถnig EK 43. Still, the drink smells like dangerย and packs a helluva punch.
After a cup (or three) has drinkers feeling transformed, they can venture downstairs to find two Champion Shuffleboardย tables, the first in Germany (though they’re not uncommon in the States). The game lies somewhere between air hockey and curling as players send heavy, puck-like stones gliding along long maple boards. They aim to land as close to the edge as possible without falling offโwhich is, when you think about it, similar to the experience of downing a cup of Kaschk. A tumble here or there feels somewhat inevitable. Donโt say we didnโt warn you.
Annabel Brady-Brownย is a freelance journalist based in Berlin, writing for ExBerliner and more. Read more Annabel Brady-Brown on Sprudge.
Photos by Septimus Brope.
