La Vaga, Malasaña cocktail shaker
The cocktail bars next to the office bartender They enjoyed their moments of glory in Madrid back in the 1920s. Highly valued by the aristocracy that idolized the liquor customs of cities like Paris or New York , the figure of cocktail shaker She was venerated night after night by the people of Madrid and characters from the local bourgeoisie who were fascinated to be seen with a fine cup in hand.
Like any good party, its high point started to fade to be forgotten, leaving us recipes, memories, legends and stories as the only legacy.
A new story has been in the making for some time now, with mixologists striving to make a gap between wines and beers , educating, informing and encouraging a new public to return to the old ways. With more or less success, they have been tracing a path that in Madrid saw its (new) beginnings in that Balmoral from the 80s; or with the elegance of Del Diego and the canalism of cock in the 90s; but also with those perfect nights that saw their reflection in the glasses of Le Cabrera , owned by Diego Cabrera and Sergi Arola.
plant yourself today in the heart of Madrid and the options for drinking well are more than satisfactory. The explosive creativity of Salmon Guru kicks off every night (and with long lines) in the middle of Echegaray Street; On one side, Viva Madrid celebrates the sanctity of the aperitif by venerating vermouths and Medias Combinaciones; nearby Baton Rouge adds American flavor and inspiration; Y, Saints and Forsaken , in the Barrio de Las Letras, revisits the classics in an environment where darkness sets the stage for the nights of loss.
And Lavapies? No one in this area had dared to bet on creativity in the cup until, in 2019, La Tuerta arrived. In a matter of weeks, it positioned itself as a benchmark extolling two concepts that at first glance seem antagonistic, but that have worked perfectly: avant-garde cocktails and traditional gastronomy.
La Vaga Funky Castizo
"The name came from a concept developed by our friend David Pérez de Santos, who used to call neighborhood bars 'one-eyed' with the idea of making a nod to the Spanish taverns but in the XXI century ", Explain Eme Otero , one of its creators. "We wanted to imagine what it would be like if there had never been a tavern, like the first one was going to open in 2019," he continues.
Achieved and implemented success, its owners (José, Víctor, Sico and Eme), decide to launch into the search for another location to continue broadening horizons. "We were inspired by La Tuerta but we wanted something simpler to be able to fit it into new spaces," explains Eme. From there comes the idea of La Vaga, this time in Malasaña, which explore the universe of highballs or, what comes to be, cocktails in which a distillate, some type of soda or tonic and ice are mixed in a tall glass . "Although it's not just any glass, it's a good quality tube, hand-painted by an artist," explains Eme.
Both bars have been the result of circumstances and, in this case, La Vaga has been even more so. "We had always had plans to expand but it was clear that the time was not right. Suddenly, we found the place that had the conditions What we were looking for... At this point it made more sense to go forward and multiply the options than to stand still and do nothing. With this context, we decided that it was a good idea to jump into the pool ", he confesses to us.
At La Vaga, the bartender's job becomes "easier" with the four different taps from where they are served . "We make cocktails with alcohol, cordial –preserved juices made by themselves to avoid the use of syrups– and a mixer ... The gesture of making a highball and serve it from a tap is spun with the name in a kind of joke that says that bartenders are lazy ", he says humorously.
All this takes a great conceptual and synthesis work that is simplified when it comes to serving them, and that is how the name arises. And also how Fernando VI becomes the image of him " being the laziest Bourbon that can be found in history ", adds Em.
Potato Bikini
"We've always had the perception that the people of Madrid , in particular, and the Spaniards, in general, enjoy long drinks . In a country where there is a strong presence of the combined culture –like rum cola or whiskey cola–, we believe that there is a meeting point with the client that makes the highball an easier structure to understand and more friendly to those who have never tried a cocktail or have been interested in them.
They also keep in mind their gastronomic proposal , which in La Vaga reimagines "lifelong" grocery stores in its mussels with chips and pickled mayonnaise; anchovies with pickled fennel; Extremadura potato sandwich, cheese and walnut praline; or tuna in butter with peppers. So you don't go hungry... because thirsty, in this cocktail paradise that Madrid is becoming, surely you will not enter.
Address: Divine Shepherd, 14 See map
Schedule: From Tuesday to Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.