Chic Summer Vibes with The Great Sunday Pool Club at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

Known for bringing the industry’s movers and shakers together on the Athens Riviera, The Great Sunday Club at Avra is back with a sensational summer twist: a pool club. On Sunday, September 8, 2024, mixologists from three world-leading hotspots – Employees Only from New York, Moebius from Milan and Nouvelle Vague from Tirana – will join Avra’s visionaries for poolside cocktails and creativity. Taking place at the glamorous Arion Pool from 6:00 to 10:30 pm, The Great Sunday Pool Club will see the pool cabanas become four different bars serving 12 exclusive cocktails for one unmissable night.  

“What better way to celebrate an Athens summer than a pool club?” asks Avra Bar Manager Manon Kapfer. “Our iconic Athens Riviera location has been drawing crowds for decades and we wanted to combine that sense of being in the right place at the right time with Avra’s principles of connection, fun and togetherness. Getting to collaborate with some cool bars, creating beautiful drinks, and enjoying a blissed-out night poolside – what’s not to love?”

Meet the bars, creatives and brands behind The Great Sunday Pool Club at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens:   

Dimitris Vasilakis, Frank Maldonado and Jonathan Yutzy - Employees Only, New York

New York-based Dimiris Vasilakis returns to his home city for the collaboration. After starting his career as a bartender in Athens, he travelled the world honing his craft and winning competitions before he found a place that shared his ethics at Employees Only. From his Guatemalan roots to school in North Carolina, Frank Maldonado found his home in New York where he worked in the city’s finest cocktail bars. He’s been bringing his inimitable energy and passion to Employees Only since 2015, first as bartender and now as bar manager. An industry veteran of 20 years, Jonathan Yutzy has worked in just about every capacity of front of house since starting out as a barback in 2002. Now EO’s general manager, he believes deeply in the art of genuine hospitality.

Always packed with in-the-know cocktail lovers, Employee’s Only has been wowing New York for nearly two decades. Ranked #47 in the World’s 50 Best Bars, Employee’s Only has been on the list for ten years and now has outposts in other global cities. Fever Pitch is the first of their three cocktails – a tropical blend of Michter's Rye, Jamaican Rum, Lime, Passion Fruit, Vanilla and Coconut – while Gaia combines Stray Dog Gin, Axia Spirit, Lemon, Honey and Greek Yogurt for zesty Athens- inspired sips. Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, Honey Pineapple, Lime and Habanero Bitters come together in a zingy fusion for Ready Fire Aim.

Lorenzo Querci and Giovanni Allario – Moebius, Milan

Bar manager Giovanni Allario honed his skills in some of Paris’ best bars and recently won the 2024 Creativity Prize by Identità Golose Guide, while Lorenzo Querci drew on memories of his family restaurant in Tuscany – and a stellar career – when he opened Moebius in Milan in 2019. Since opening, Moebius has been named on the 50 Best Discovery list; ranked in the Top 500 Bars list in 2022; second in the Italian Cocktail Bar of the Year Award in 2021, and in the Top 500 Bars in 2022. Blending live jazz music with high-quality drinks, art and culture in a unique venue that includes a vinyl store as well as a bar-back holding more than 300 bottles, Moebius offers buzzy, warm vibes to both Milanese and global guests.

Their Great Sunday Pool Club drinks are Bitter Paloma featuring Herradura Plata, Campari, Ayuuk, Grapefruit and Three Cents Dry Tonic; a cheeky mix of Brugal 1888, Gin Mare, Bergamot, Almond, Coconut, Milk, Olive Oil in Sicilian Lemonade; and the deceptively simple-sounding Scotch & Soda with rich flavours from The Macallan Double Cask 12 yo, Marsala Dry, Peach and Bubbles.  

Sofokli Cali and Ines Beqiri – Nouvelle Vague, Tirana

Funky, conceptual hand-built bar Nouvelle Vague was founded in 2012 by two brothers Evis and Sofokli Cali. A pioneer in the Albanian hospitality industry, it has been ranked #86 in the World’s 50 Best Bars extended list for 2023. Lively, warm and welcoming, the community bar echoes the friendliness of Sofokli who has worked in hospitality since he was a student. Colourfully creative walls, a chilled outdoor space and inspiring cocktails come together to create uplifting vibes.

Cocktails crafted for the poolside occasion include Poppy with its playful combination of Arette Blanco, Blackberry Raki, Aromatized Wine, Red Apple, Bacon and Spices; the elegant English Climber featuring Martin Miller’s Gin, Mountain Tea, Honey, Lemon, Barley and Perrier; and Nou Fashion – a blend of Michter's Rye, Vermouth Blend, Ginger, Lime and Bitters.  

Manon Kapfer and Team – Avra, Athens

Destination bar Avra has been pioneering collaboration since it opened in 2023. Visionary Bar Manager Manon Kapfer loves nothing more than gathering fellow creatives together to make magic. Alongside her passionate team, Athens’ bar scene’s very own “mover and shaker” will be crafting three on-theme cocktails for The Great Sunday Pool Club. Breezy summer notes sing out from Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri with its blend of El Dorado 3 years old Rum, Strawberry and Lime; Frozen Pina Colada featuring El Dorado 3 years old rum, El Dorado 8 years old Rum, Pineapple, Coconut and Lim;, and the refreshingly fruity Miami Vice. which combines Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada for a two-in-one tropical dream.

To enjoy poolside cocktails, Avra-style, call +30 21 0890 1197 or visit the website.