Dec 09 2021
Six Cocktails with Spanish Flavours by Top Barman Diego Cabrera
These are the recipes that the cocktail maker, who heads the 24 best bar in the world, has made with Spanish distilled beverages and liqueurs.
In gastronomy, there's one golden rule: if the raw material is good, it's unlikely that the result will be mediocre. Chefs, winemakers and, of course, bartenders know this. In the case of the latter, the art of mixing is a question of knowledge, raw material and, of course, proportions. Diego Cabrera, one of the best bartenders in the world, shows that this art can also clearly reflect a specific place. Using Spanish ingredients, Cabrera shares a selection of cocktails that highlight local products in all their glory to achieve combinations that work to perfection.
MODERN TIMES
Ingredients: Brandy de Jerez (0.7 oz)
Red vermouth from Reus (1.35 oz)
Pacharán from Navarre (0.35 oz)
1 slice of Valencian orange
Barman’s selection: Cabrera loves pacharán from Navarre and in this cocktail he mixes it with vermouth and another of his favorite products, brandy de Jerez.
BRANDY JULEP
Ingredients: Brandy de Jerez (2 oz)
PX (Pedro Ximenez) (1.35 oz)
Cherry liqueur (1.35 oz)
1 handful mint
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Barman’s selection: Another cocktail in which brandy de Jerez is used together with the sweet wine par excellence from the same PDO, Pedro Ximénez.
GIMLET STYLE
Ingredients: Gin from Mahon (1.7 oz)
Banana Wine from the Canary Islands (1 oz)
Elderflower Liqueur (1.7 oz)
Lime Cordial (0.7 oz)
Barman’s selection: In this cocktail, Cabrera visits the islands to create a synergy between Balearic gin and the surprising banana wine from the Canary Islands.
RISUEÑO
Ingredients:
1.7 oz Palo Cortado Sherry
0.7 oz Eau de Vie
1.35 oz Lemon juice
1 oz Rosemary syrup
3 Orange blossom water drops
0.35 oz Egg white
1 Teaspoon olive oil pearls
Barman’s selection: In this recipe, Cabrera takes the opportunity to use palo cortado and its possibilities in mixology and leverages his expertise by using olive oil in his cocktail.
SWEET EMBRACE
Ingredients: Muscatel (2 oz)
1 slice cucumber
Fresh pineapple (1/4 cup)
1 handful mint
1 teaspoon honey from Extremadura
Cava from Catalonia (3.4 oz)
Barman’s selection: For a cocktail like this one, in addition to beverages with Spanish roots, the use of other ingredients linked to a place, such as honey from Extremadura, stands out.
STRAWBERRY PASSION
Cava from Valencia (4 oz)
5 strawberries from Aranjuez
1 passion fruit
1 teaspoon cane sugar from Málaga
Barman’s selection: The strawberries from Aranjuez and the cane sugar from Málaga give this cocktail character. It also contains cava from Valencia, which has different nuances compared with Catalan ones.Read our exclusive interview with Diego Cabrera about the use of Spanish beverages in cocktails here.
