For me as an AAS member, the Bar at Sheraton Grand Hotel has, over the course of my 5 years of living in Salzburg, become something like a second living room. The dimmed light, the nicely arranged small coffee tables, the observant staff, the excellent beverages... I step into the Sheraton and immediately it feels like home.

Coming in for our After Work Cocktail on March 23, 2023 at 5:30 pm, the first person I see is Martin Langer standing at a bar table, welcoming the guests. He is here with the band "All Souls Night", tonight. They will be playing Celtic Folk for us. I greet him and check whether there are any other AAS members I know. Many known faces. Some new faces. Oh, and there is our President Dr. Maria Ganauser and some colleagues of the board. I greet everyone I know, shake hands, nod, smile, chat, check out or ask what drink they are having. I look around at the tables and see white wine with sparkling water-shots (if anyone knows what these are called in English please write it to me in the comment section!), coffee, beer in elegant glasses, someone is having a fruit juice... but as I am planning to write this blog right after the event, I decide to start with a cappuccino. The staff of the Sheraton usually also prepares 2 cocktails for the occasion. This time there is one with interesting ingredients based on gin and the other one based on vodka. Too sad I need to stay sober tonight! Maybe I should ask the staff about an alcohol-free cocktail one day? Or write the blog another day?