Behind the Scenes of One of the World’s Most Famous Après Ski Bars – The MooserWirt

MooserWirt St Anton

Behind the Scenes of One of the World’s Most Famous Après Ski Bars – The MooserWirt

The MooserWirt is not just a St Anton institution, not just an Alpine institution, but a world-wide, famous (or ‘infamous’!) après ski bar.

It’s famous for its parties, its music and the DJ, and especially for the sheer number of drinks they churn out to happy-go-lucky après ski revellers from the day it opens (early December) to the day it closes (end of April).

So what does it take to run a bar like this? We were lucky enough to get the inside scoop from the ‘genius’ (he will hate me for saying that!), who created this incredible après ski concept.

The MooserWirt

How many staff work in the MooserWirt?

About 90 in winter and about 10 all year round to keep the bar prepped and ready for winter.

Some of these jobs are quite unique, for example the MooserWirt actually employs three guys whose sole jobs are to keep the kegs connected and are affectionately known as ‘cellar rats’! They are responsible for ensuring that there are always about 60 kegs ‘online’ at any one time, plus that all seven bars never run out of anything…

That’s some responsibility!

Whats the best selling drink(s) and roughly how many do you sell?

Besides beer, which accounts for about 40 % of the turnover, it is the ‘Flying Hirsch’. Known internationally as a ‘Jlägerbomb’. They won’t give out figures, but they have no doubt that 90 % of the people would call them “liars” because, as has been said before “nobody can sell THAT much”.

A great fact that has been confirmed is, that MooserWirt sells by far the most beer per square meter in Austria! What the actual figure is remains a secret – but at nearly €6.00 a big beer, that’s pretty good going!

The MooserWirt also has an impressive wine list and a couple of great wine cellars as well, something that not a lot of people don’t know!

Whats the most expensive bottle of wine?

That would be a 1994 Château Petrus for € 3.100,00 – which, is a real bargain by the way…

Champagne would be the Armand de Brignac Brut Rosé for € 780,00 for a 0,75 l bottle.

The “Champagne Bar” in the MooserWirt is something to behold, an enormous glass fronted, walk in fridge filled with many different types of champagne with everything from your standard 0.75l bottle up to 18l of beautiful bubbles! All with an incredible “window wall” out to the slopes and across the town.

MooserWirt Exterior

What’s been the best business decision you’ve made in or about the MooserWirt ?

There wasn’t an answer for this question, but definitely the WORST one ever made was about 20 years ago when they made a kind of ‘winter garden’ on part of the terrace so they could quickly create a covered section when it was snowing. BUT – it was always empty! It soon transpired that people WANTED to stay outside BECAUSE it was snowing! Après ski party people didn’t seem to mind drinking cold Gluhwein or frozen beer, and so after only three weeks it was torn down and the outdoor terrace was packed again.

A € 150,000 lesson…!!

Food in the MooserWirt is a real treat as well. Again something people don’t always realise. A good menu with big big portions definitely does not leave you hungry. It’s a hugely important revenue stream for the bar and the menu has been defined and refined and created around the most practical, simple, delicious requests and needs of the hungry skier (and après skier!)

How many racks of ribs do you sell in a season (roughly)?

Absolutely no idea, honestly”, was the reply! The number is too big to fathom!

 

The music is perhaps another factor in what helps to make the MooserWirt so popular and so famous, and as such has an almost ‘cult’ following.  The infamous DJ Gerhard, is himself  a MooserWirt institution!

How old is DJ Gerhard and how long has he worked at the MooserWirt – is he that famous?

Gerhard is now 67, and has been working for the MooserWirt for 26 years! We don’t know if he is ‘famous’ but he is definitely a ‘legend’ – plus we are sure that we have NEVER heard of ANY other place in the world that has had the very same DJ every single day for 24 years!

That was until 2 years ago and now in true family tradition Gerhard’s son Thomas is slowly taking over with 2 days a week. But I’m sure Gerhard will be THE DJ in MooserWirt for MANY more years…

MooserWirt

Who are your most famous drinkers?

We are by far the place with the most (as in number of) famous drinkers. We are sure we could be on TV or in the news every single day posing with someone of note. However,  you will not find even one single picture of our famous friends anywhere in or around the MooserWirt. We respect their privacy and maybe 
5 % of the ‘rich & famous’ hate us for that because they don’t want privacy, they want to be seen (or they want free drinks!!)

But 95 % love us for this reason, and keep coming back and back. And there are quite big names among them…

Why has the MooserWirt become so famous?

A strong following of fantastic customers, the longest serving DJ, lots of returning staff, a family run business with an owner who cares, is readily available and is still involved in the business. A brand that is recognisable over most of the European skiing world and far further beyond as well.

You must visit the MooserWirt! When the party is in full swing with pumping music, strong, fast efficient waiters and waitresses and a packed house of après skiers it really is a sight not to be missed!

by Andy Butterworth, Kaluma Director.

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