Hawara Liqueur - in the spirit of friendship

For our Liqueur of the Month for November, we are choosing Hawara, a delicious apple-cinnamon liqueur produced in Vienna. Behind the project are four young, passionate Viennese, whom we asked for a short interview. 

- Who are you, and how did you come up with the idea to develop your own liqueur brand?
- The idea came, as it surely would, while out partying. In a bar, a cocktail was served with mustard and horseradish, and I thought to myself, “you need something like this as a party shot, just with more common ingredients at the forefront.” 

Thank God I was still able to remember the idea the next day, so I started with product development and conceptualization and brought my founding partner and close friend Ralph on board. 

Apple strudel is the most traditional and popular dessert in Vienna, so it quickly became clear to us that this should be the primary flavor.

- Why is your Hawara something special?
- HAWARA is special due to its attention to detail and its typical Viennese wit (“Schmäh”). The fact that we brought the first party shot in the premium segment to market makes HAWARA unique and sets it apart from the masses. 

- You say Hawara is a true Viennese. What exactly makes a true Viennese in your eyes?
- I think Falco once said, “We Viennese oscillate between depression and megalomania.” Things go similarly in entrepreneurship and especially in the founding process. One day you think you own the world and nothing can touch you, and the next day you think the world is coming to an end. But that is exactly what makes life exciting. *laughs* 

The Viennese charm (“Schmäh”) certainly helps to take things more easily and see them with a wink. Anyone who can do that definitely has an easier time in life, and I believe that is what distinguishes us Viennese. 

“A true Viennese doesn't go under” (“Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter”) has its meaning; or in our case, as we like to say, “A true Viennese goes down well” (“Ein echter Wiener geht gut runter”). 

- What is your personal relationship with Vienna, and how is it reflected in Hawara?
- Vienna is the city of our dreams and, for me personally, the most beautiful city in the world. In truth, we live in a giant open-air museum. Everyone should enjoy it. 
Specifically, during the development of our HAWARA, it was important to us to put as much of Vienna as possible in and on the bottle. That starts with the name, goes to the ingredients from the Viennese kitchen, and ends with the 23% alcohol by volume, which stands for the 23 Viennese districts. You can’t get more Vienna than that.