Madrid, a city of relentless energy and late-night revelry, has more to offer than tapas and flamenco. Beneath its vibrant streets lies a thriving cocktail culture brimming with artistry, innovation, and a hint of history. From the most classic spots to modernist mixology, it’s cocktail enthusiast's playground.
Cocktails are on fire in Madrid, marrying classic charm with a dash of innovation. Today, the city is a hotbed for those into cocktails, offering everything from ancient taverns to trendy rooftop bars.
On every corner, you'll practically stumble into a cocktail bar, one a bit more intriguing than the last. Tapas is to Madrid, but the budding culture of cocktails is making waves around the city. At style bars such as Salmon Guru, mixes are part-performance-part-science, while a sip at hidden speakeasies such as 1862 Dry Bar carries you back in time to the golden age of cocktails.
The only thing that rivals the city's cosmopolitan vibe is its creativity. Seasonal ingredients, local spirits like Licor 43, and global techniques come together in a perfect storm that makes Madrid the holy grail of any drinker who appreciates their well-crafted cocktail.
Madrid doesn't just serve cocktails; it celebrates them.
Cocktails have been around in Madrid since the early 20th century. Bars like Chicote on Gran Vía set standards then for Hollywood stars and Spanish elites when it was the Golden Age; Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner were rumoured regulars.
Although slow to get going internationally, over the past twenty years, a renaissance has occurred. Now, the city stands on its own as one of the cocktail capitals of Europe, combining tradition with really avant-garde techniques.
Museo Chicote was once a spy hangout during the Spanish Civil War? Yup, people were passing secret messages over martinis like it was no big deal.
Or take the time when Dalí supposedly asked for a cocktail served in a shoe (weird, but very on-brand for him). Chicote delivered. The man literally turned footwear into glassware.
Spanish vermouth
Pacharan
Orujo
Licor 43
Spanish brandy
Hierbas ibicencas
The cocktail scene in Madrid is really buzzing. New bars keep opening, and mixologists are getting ever more creative, so the city is sure to remain a major reference of cocktail innovation.