The Bar Journal

SOMETIMES IT FEELS like nothing will slow down Barcelona’s food and drink scene. It’s an ever-growing juggernaut, attracting big-name chefs and Bartenders from across Europe; as well as grassroots creativity from Simone Caporale & Marc Alvarez with SIPS.

SIPS is set to redefine Barcelona’s bar scene, blurring the lines between haute-couture and pret-a-porter, a disruptive cocktail experience that evolves with every sip.

Internationally known mixologists, Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez, combine experience and creativity in their latest project SIPS, drinkery house, a new cocktail bar set to open in the Catalan Capital. SIPS skilfully blends the true artistry of classic cocktails with the latest technology and trends in the mixology scene.

Barcelona, 1st of June 2021. Luis Buñuel wrote “life is better in front of a cocktail”. In his autobiography, the creative Spanish director wrote “for me, the bar is a retreat, a place of meditation which without life was inconceivable.” Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez coincided on the exact same idea when they met a few years ago in London, where Simone led the internationally renowned bar Artesian of the exclusive The Langham Hotel, awarded ”the best bar in the world” according to “The World’s 50 Best Bars” for four consecutive years (2012 – 2015). Marc, on the other hand, was the head of mixology and beverage mastermind for over 8 years at Barcelona’s elBarri, Albert and Ferran Adrià’s uber-successful restaurant group.

SIPS, haute couture cocktails in a pret-a-porter format Together, Simone and Marc have over thirty years of industry experience, leaders in their respective cities, London and Barcelona: “When we met”, explains Simone, “the idea arose to create a space for high-end cocktails in a pret-a-porter format. At Sips we apply the Spanish “tapa” concept to the world of liquids, small portions at accessible prices, allowing our guests to explore and take the tasting experience to the next level”. “We want to vindicate the concept of a “bar”, points out Marc, “as a place to gather or share, as desired, in a relaxed atmosphere, giving equal importance to all drinks, be it a wine, a beer, spirits or a cocktail, SIPS will be our little tribute to the liquid world”.

Creativity, technique, aesthetics and emotion to create the perfect SIPS

The menu, influenced by seasonal ingredients, mixes classic recipes with an original offer of signature cocktails. “We use various tools more akin to a laboratory than a cocktail bar, such as the masticator machine”, says Simone, “which allows us to mix aromas and ingredients with surprising results, preserving the original and natural aspects of the product. Caipirinha from SIPS is a great example. This classic cocktail is normally prepared by manually squeezing the lime to release its own juice, the result is sometimes a bit bitter due to the excess of essential oils contained in the skin of the lime, with the masticator, we manage to eliminate the bitterness while guaranteeing the same high-end quality”.

“The SIPS experience must be understood as a total experience”, adds Simone, “the glassware has to be at the level of the liquid and seduce our guests first through the eyes” Together with glass artists Ferran Collado and José Piñero, Simone and Marc have designed specific glassware for each of their cocktails. “Olfactory Chamber, for example”, explains Marc, “increases the experience of the perfume of the cocktail, concentrating the aromas on the palate”. How did we drink before glassware existed? Simone and Marc worked with the designers creating a glass in the shape of golden hands in which the cocktail “Las Manos de Gaudí” is served. “Cocktails are like art”, says Simone, “they express a language, transmit a sensation and create experiences thanks to every single element of which a cocktail is made”.

To accompany its extravagant cocktail menu, SIPS offers creative small bites designed to be shared, such as the Octopus Hot Dog or the Palo Cortado Tartar de Jerez.

SIPS, a bar without a bar

Defying the limits of a classic cocktail bar, SIPS chose not to incorporate a physical bar as a central element, instead of focusing fully on the customers and the cocktails. “We envisage SIPS as a social place. That is why we wanted to eliminate any physical barriers between our guests and the bartenders”, Marc and Simone explain, “this allows our guests to be fully immersed and aware of what is happening at all times”.

The Esencia of Sips, Winter 2021

In addition to Sips drinkery house, a mention must be made about ESENCIA, a second SIPS space that will be opening this winter. ESENCIA will bring together Marc and Simone’s most creative and avant-garde vision in the world of beverages.

Our interview with Simone Caporale & Marc Alvarez 

SIPS

drinkery house

Calle Muntaner 108, Barcelona

www. sips.barcelona.com

@sips.barcelona

For more information and high-res images, please contact Vera de Frutos press@sips.barcelona

+34679229102

Salute!

ITALSPIRITS Team

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