“Welcome to Paradiso”: thanks to Giacomo Giannotti, a Tuscan from Marina di Carrara, Barcelona boasts one of the most acclaimed cocktail bars in the world, where the creation process involves the entire team, and the glass and “special effects” are designed along with the recipe so as to create unique presentations. Curious to discover the drinks?
The Bar
Barcelona, Born district, a stone's throw from Parc de la Ciutadella, a small Pastrami Bar that you catch a glimpse of as you walk by and a retro-style refrigerator door behind which a curtain opens like a curtain, taking you to Barcelona's most acclaimed cocktail bar (speakeasy style). Fascinating design from the furnishings to the cocktails to the floral themes, soft lighting and persuasive curved wood paneling to create well-being throughout your stay, plus a secret room that doubles as a speakeasy (the Macallan Room).
It is the work of Giacomo Giannotti (a Tuscan from Marina di Carrara, who comes from a family of ice cream makers whose business was actually called Paradiso) and his mostly Italian team, who, since opening in 2015, have been creating cocktails and liquid culture that are decidedly avant-garde. The quality of ingredients, the choice of unconventional raw materials and the use of experimental and innovative techniques are the basis of every drink list proposed by Paradiso.
The latest cocktail list is called Mysteries of The World and aims to explore the unknown through 15 unexpected cocktails, a decidedly unique experience that combines mixology and unsolved mysteries of our planet through research and experimental techniques never tried before. “It is the result of months of research, experimentation, passion and a lot of creativity. Inspired by human curiosity and the desire to explore the mysteries of the world, the menu tells stories through unique ingredients, experimental techniques and spectacular presentations with which to create cocktails inspired by the most fascinating mysteries, from the Egyptian pyramids to microscopic mushrooms, from the secrets of the human brain to the mystery of the universal flood. The world is full of unsolved mysteries that we will probably never get to the bottom of...and isn't that the beauty of it? “ says Giacomo Giannotti.
The process of creating Mysteries of the World, like every other menu at Paradiso, involved all members of the team, from the first to the last, and is characterized by a methodical and creative approach: starting from the initial ideation and brainstorming phase, it goes through the filtering of the most promising and original ideas, to the prototyping and practical implementation phase, thanks also to external collaborators (technicians, glassmakers, ceramists, creative workshops).
Also and especially in this new drink list, the glass and “special effects” are thought out and designed together with the recipe to create the ideal and original presentation for each individual drink. The process of study and experimentation takes place in synergy with Paradiso Lab, where all the elements that will make up the final cocktail are designed to create a complete sensory experience. From the recipes and presentations, created by Giacomo Giannotti and his team, to the garnishes, the work of chef and Lab manager Matteo Ciarpaglini.
The drinks
Each of the cocktails is designed with unique ingredients and textures to trigger a chain reaction of emotions in those who taste them. Unexpected pairings and tastes, unusual ingredients that allow all five senses to be activated. Example is “Enigma” which aims to represent the mystery of the human brain, of which we are only allowed to use a fraction: why? A tart, balsamic, fruity and fresh cocktail in an enigmatic glass, an asexual sculpture whose head is uncovered to drink and find inside a raspberry and pine semifreddo in the shape of a brain.
Alongside the new drinks from the Mysteries of the World menu, the 6 signature cocktails that best represent Paradiso will remain: Mediterranean Treasure, Great Gatsby, Kriptonita, Supercool Martini and The Cloud (you may have seen it in photos or videos, made with mezcal, hibiscus, Montenegro bitters, Spanish smoked chilies, cherry wine and coffee cloud swirling while serving the drink), to which On Fire, the masterpiece of The Evolution menu, will be added. The recipes for Kryptonite and Supercool Martini include the use of two new Paradiso signature products: the new MG Paradiso Gin for the former and Paradiso White Truffle Gin for the latter, apropos of being in continuous mental and creative production.
Giacomo Giannotti together with the unstoppable enthusiasm of his wife Margarita Sader, a fashion designer who is herself a talented creator of the MS Bartrends brand with which she “dresses the best bars in the world”, has accustomed us to see how there is always something new and interesting to be created by inventing, experimenting and doing it well.
The Paradiso Lab
Creativity, imagination and research are the common denominators of their worthwhile bar voted best in the world in 2022 by the World's 50 Best Bars. And recently the bar has been raised in no small part with the first events in the Paradiso Lab, the creative and experimental space, a forge where magic takes shape before entering the nearby bar, where noteworthy events are organized.
The latest was the presence of Laura Hernández Espinosa of La Sala de Laura in Bogotá, with whom it was possible to enjoy the liquid proposal based on the bioculturality of Colombia. And how could we forget the zero event that kicked it all off: the cocktails from Paradiso's latest menu happily met the dishes of the genius Andoni Luis Aduriz proposes at his bistellated restaurant Mugaritz in Errenteria, in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa. Three hours of storytelling, amazement and demonstration that with study and rehearsal, a cocktail pairing lunch can stand. A bold and curious pairing of haute cuisine and avant-garde cocktails, each dish and cocktail pairing was designed to stimulate the senses and challenge the boundaries of sensory conventions, showing the synergy between gastronomy and the world of mixology.
And between whom could it happen if not between two entities that strongly share a commitment to experimentation, innovation and a bold approach to pushing the boundaries of flavor and aesthetics? Tequila and cactus cordial meeting the iodine dimension, acid and vanilla, horseradish and hay bathing a plum, mezcal and peppers, chocolate and baked nougat, citrus and truffle. All demonstrating that what makes a bar great today is not just techniques and flair in recipes, but the search for synergies with equally important players, experimentation, study and the desire to always put oneself out there.
It is no coincidence that already years ago, the opening of the Paradiso Lab kicked off a project all in the name of sustainability (today's annual event is the Sustainability Summit) to minimize plastic consumption and optimize the use of ingredients, turning waste back into coasters for the bar. "To me, sustainability means trying to waste as little as possible and turning waste into raw materials that can be used at the bar. In an industry like ours, this might seem like an unattainable goal, but with the right mindset and the right people, there is always a way. “ says James.
Make a stop in heaven, Paradiso.
Contact
Paradiso
Carrer de Rera Palau, 4, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
info@paradiso.cat
