When Amuerte Gin decided to create a bar worthy of its bold and intricate gin identity, the vision was clear: this was not just a place to pour drinks. It was about designing an atmosphere that could carry the brand’s story in every gesture, every sip, every glance across the counter.
In close collaboration with Behind Bars, Antwerp-based Atelier Paul Morel translated this ambition into a space where design precision, bespoke drinks, and immersive storytelling come together seamlessly. From the first sketch to the final pour, every detail was carefully considered, refined, and woven into a hospitality experience that stirs all the senses.
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Paul Morel
Atelier’s Creative Approach
Known for weaving emotion into every project, Atelier Paul Morel approaches hospitality with the same care a composer gives a symphony. Their background, shaped alongside culinary greats like Sergio Herman, Grant Achatz, and Albert Adrià, has instilled a deep respect for detail: the scent that precedes a sip, the feel of glass against fingertips, the choreography of service.
For the Amuerte bar, that philosophy came to life in layers:
Ingredients with soul — native, seasonal elements chosen for their ability to carry story and memory.
Texture as language — balancing sharp and soft, crisp and smooth.
Narrative in a glass — building drinks that tell a visual, aromatic, and emotional tale.
Precision with freedom — clean structures that still allow room for creative improvisation.
The team’s Antwerp atelier, once a beer lab, became the project’s creative laboratory, prototyping combinations of design, flavor, and motion until the space and drinks spoke the same language.
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Hospitality is a living art form. It’s not just about good drinks or design, but how things feel in motion, together.
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Atelier
A multidisciplinary space in a former beer laboratory, transformed into a hub of creativity and craftsmanship.
Atelier
Inspired by Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian design, blending simplicity, efficiency, and warmth.
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Designing a Stage, Not Just a Bar
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The Amuerte bar was imagined as more than a service counter; it is a stage where each moment of hospitality unfolds. Behind Bars designed the station layout to marry performance with practicality, ensuring smooth flow for bartenders while keeping the visual drama intact.
Paul Morel’s contribution extended beyond the drinks. He worked closely on the spatial layout, ensuring every functional choice - from where tools rest to how drinks are presented - supports both efficiency and storytelling.
The Result:
A bar that inspires the people working behind it as much as it captivates guests
Cocktails created specifically for the space, leveraging its unique rhythm and atmosphere
Presentation as ritual - each serve designed to arrive with a sense of occasion
Brand identity translated into texture, flavor, and movement
Every cocktail was composed for this environment, ensuring that the drink and the bar are inseparable parts of the same experience.
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Workshop
Design Phase Collaboration
The Amuerte team and Paul Morel met with Behind Bars designers at the Oslo office to shape concepts and refine details during the project’s early stages.
Explore Project
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Featured Cocktails — Paul’s Favorites Crafted with Amuerte Gin
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Amuerte Slush — Elderflower & Amalfi Citrus
A bright, floral, and icy celebration of texture, this serve is elegant, refreshing, and utterly transportive.
Ingredients (batch recipe):
Amuerte White Gin – 550g
Martini Bitter – 150g
Water – 1400g
Belvoir Elderflower Cordial – 450g
Amalfi Lemon Juice – 450g
Preparation Steps:
Wash and juice fresh Amalfi lemons; strain through a fine mesh.
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Pour mixture into a slush machine and freeze at -7°C to -8°C.
After 30 to 40 minutes, the slush reaches perfect texture.
Serve:
In a frozen coupe glass, garnished with fresh Oxalis and a curl of Amalfi lemon zest.
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Japanese Mule — Shiso & Ume Boshi
Pisco-Amuerte Infusion:
Pisco Barsol Primero Quabrante – 500g
Amuerte Gin – 500g
Red Shiso – 25g
Ume Boshi – 30g
Cold-infuse under vacuum for 24 hours
Ginger Infusion:
Fever Tree Ginger Beer – 800g
Water – 200g
Sugar syrup (1:2) – 100g
Fresh lime juice – 100g
Lemongrass (3 stalks), Coriander seed (4g), Star anise (1 piece)
Chop lemongrass, combine all, cold-infuse under vacuum for 12 hours, strain through fine sieve
Ginger Snow:
Same as ginger infusion, freeze for 24 hours at -21°C and shave using an ice swan
To Serve (per cocktail):
30g Pisco & Amuerte infusion
100g Ginger infusion
20g Fever Tree Ginger Beer
Fresh lime juice (to refresh)
1 leaf Red Shiso
30g Ginger snow
Preparation Steps:
Shake all ingredients short except ginger snow with crushed ice.
Pour into tumbler glass filled with crushed ice.
Top with ginger snow (granita) and garnish with lime.
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Drink
Japanese Mule
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Beyond the Glass
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The partnership between Atelier Paul Morel and Behind Bars underscores a fundamental truth about hospitality: it transcends drinks and design. It is about crafting environments where every detail, from mixology to spatial design, works in harmony to create immersive, sensory experiences.
Atelier Paul Morel approaches hospitality as a holistic discipline, shaping atmospheres and rituals that resonate deeply with guests. Their offerings range from innovative beverage concepts and tailored team training to fully integrated brand activations and event designs. This comprehensive approach ensures each project tells a unique story that aligns with the client’s vision.
