Julio de la Torre, like so many Spaniards, has spent his summer in El Puerto de Santa María. But on this occasion he has had to travel there to discover the secret of Rives’ gins. Now he knows what is the only thing that our #SpanishGintonic does and has not hesitated to join the #Mixioneros team.
The bartender of Santamaría La Coctelería de Al Lado presents “Primavera Santamaría”, a 100% Mediterranean cocktail that evokes an endless number of sensations. Try it for yourself!
Recipe:
- 5cl from Rives 1880 Gin.
- Murcia lemon skin.
- Original Tonic.
- Greek pepper
- Turkish laurel
Why did you choose to be a cocktail barman ?
I’ve always been told that I look like Tom Cruise and one of his most famous films is Cocktail, so I had no choice. It was that or thinking about saving the world on an impossible mission.
How was your beginning in this world? Do you remember your first cocktail ?
I started cleaning pots at a beach bar at age 13 and earning 2000 pesetas. The first cocktail I think was a Margarita. No double casting and no salt at the edge. At that time, I still did not know what to do.
An advice to prepare the best #SpanishGinTonic, where do you think the key is?
In everything is very cold, especially the glass and the tonic. And do not make salads. I am more in favor of accompanying the gin only with some component of it.
What’s the ingredient that should always be in a cocktail bar?
Ice
Have you got any favourite tool? We mean, an instrument that you always carry with you…
A blade is always very useful, although you can open the bottles with other tools. If I had to choose just one, I think I’d stick with the Boston shaker.
Any advice to a new barman?
Always keep in mind that no one is better than anyone, what happens is that there are different disciplines and different point of view regarding the cocktails.
