Madrid is its bars, its unforgettable nights. And today, more than ever, Madrid’s cocktail bars give meaning to one of the most powerful proposals in Spain and, why not, in the world. A place where classics are masterfully crafted and share space with creative and unique concoctions, created by bartenders chasing the best drink.
We’re talking about a sector that has gradually earned its rightful place and that, after years of a long dormancy, has managed to make Spaniards adopt the cocktail as part of a tradition that had until now been reserved for wines and beers. Thus, cocktail culture has learned to appeal to the tastes of Madrid locals and visitors by basing itself on the tenets of good drinking, winking at the aperitif hour, integrating into after-dinner conversations, making the most of the best moments that leisure offers just before the dinner hour, the time that daily coincides with the end of the workday. Some call it the afterwork.
Those who previously didn’t know the power of a Negroni now yield to it. Meanwhile, others count the Whisky Sour as their go-to cocktail and, without realizing it, already master the art of the speakeasy, where a secret password is capable of opening the doors to a new world of (liquid) possibilities. It’s incredible, but whatever happens, Madrid always manages to shine in the reflection of a chin chin. That is why today we pay homage to what we consider the best cocktail bars in Madrid and, of course, to the teams that are, day after day, behind their comforting bars.
CHEEQUITIN (Hartzenbusch, 14)
The idea for this small neighborhood cocktail bar in Chamberí was born from Marwan Chagouri‘s desire to unite food and drink in a cocktail bar. “Cheequitin — my lifelong nickname and also a nod to the size of the venue, which barely measures 38m² — was built around a very simple idea: to offer half-sized cocktails crafted by the house, accompanied by a small bite conceived as an extension of the cocktail itself. It isn’t a traditional tapa, but an extra ingredient of the experience, a kind of garnish in solid form.”
Its aim has always been to offer a different vision of cocktail culture: closer, more gastronomic, and less constrained. And with Marwan behind the bar, the mission is more than fulfilled. Of the menu, one favorite is the Meva Meva: crafted with bergamot liqueur, manzanilla wine, lime, and homemade oolong tea syrup. “We pair it with a sheet of pane carasau, black olive tapenade, a razor clam, and a final touch of arbequina olive oil,” he explains.”My second favorite, and probably my personal weakness, is our Dirty Martini,” he adds. “We prepare it with MG gin and a secret brine created by us. It’s a straightforward, elegant cocktail with no frills; the kind of drink that proves that when the raw materials and technique are good, you don’t need much else.”
