#46-49 | A Bar Tour of Málaga, Spain
Foreword by LiquidThoughts:
We met guest writer Timo Wollersheim at an event at Woods in Cologne and the idea for a short article about his last trip to Málaga and the most important local bars was born. Timo himself is a cocktail enthusiast and has already worked at Woods in Cologne himself, among other places. The format of short reviews with a list within a single article will remain an exception on LiquidThoughts, but this city trip certainly lent itself to it, enjoy!
Last Visit: Summer 2024
Just under 520 kilometers south of Madrid on the Costa del Sol lies sunny Málaga. With just under 600,000 inhabitants, Málaga is the second largest city in Andalusia. In general, it is always exciting to wander through these particularly old cities showcasing their history on every corner, just like in Italy with Rome or Porto in Portugal, and then experience the contrast between ancient buildings and modern drinking spots.
It was a funny thought to walk through the same streets of the birthplace of Picasso and, in addition to numerous museums, beautiful monuments and lots of culture and visit some bars that good Pablo never experienced in his lifetime and to find out how a very touristy city like Málaga represents very different bar styles. As the article here on LT was not planned in advance of the trip, only the most important things have been noted, but hopefully this will be more than enough to give you a brief overview of some of the city's most important bars and give you an idea of their character.
Copyright: Renard Cocktail Club
Renard Cocktail Club
My first bar visit of the trip led me to a sign with an inviting fox in a side street in the center of Málaga. I was briefly worried that it might be a tacky tourist hangout because of that very central location. But one step away from the bright, bustling street led to a darkened, cozy bar that suddenly presented a world of its own. Slightly old-school, but without being too old-fashioned, discreetly rustic, yet cozy and charming in the heart of the city. The music, a wild mix of hip-hop and alternative, was a little louder, but you could still talk your way through it and I enjoyed it throughout the visit.
The signature drinks on the menu all sounded very exciting, as they like to mix them with local specialties such as “alfarnates” - roasted almonds for exanple. The two drinks below also feature local beer, Spanish nougat is used for the Fat Wash and, of course, the famous Málaga wine. I also liked the presentation of the drinks. Here and there, as is often the case in popular tourist cities, they like to play with slightly kitschy but nevertheless appealing ceramics, as you can see below. Funnily enough, the logo, the fox, is also found among those mugs. However, I wasn't blown away by the taste of the two drinks I tried. They were easy to sip, but they lacked a little depth and complexity. All in all, however, I would certainly come back again to try out the menu a little more.
El Zorro
| Tequila Entremanos
| Nixta Elote Liquor
| Artisanal Málaga Beer
| „Vulpes“ Cordial
Moratita
| Málaga Nougat Woodford Reserve Bourbon
| „Trajinero“ Málaga Wine
| Angostura Cocoa Bitters
| Salt
Copyright: La Destilería
La Destilería
As you can already see from the photos: Of all the bars presented here, La Destilería is by far the most warm & cozy looking. Even on your first visit, you somehow feel right “at home”, the atmosphere was very pleasantly inviting thanks to the glowing lighting, the design was relaxed and yet very appropriately chosen with an eye for certain details. I was greeted by a bartender called Dario, with an amazing twirled moustache and an incredibly open, friendly manner that made me feel welcome straight away.
He definitely knew what he was doing and was extremely talkative as well as giving very good cocktail advice. When asked for recommendations on where to go next, he promptly pulled out his pen and listed a number of names - a dream of a bar visit and great service.
The signature drinks themselves were just as good. The La Flama started off smoky, herbal and refreshing at the same time. When serving, a slice of grapefruit was flambéed beforehand, so that you could also perceive a pleasantly complementary smoky smell, which made the drink appear even more complex. This was followed by the Kingston Negroni 2.0, a riff on the modern classic, which in turn is already a riff on a rum Negroni. This intense, yet not too penetrating banana flavor, combined with the bitterness of the classic, just wow. The classic Continental and Pisco Sour were also due in between and ideally prepared. The Mint Punch was a wonderful dessert drink to finish. With its slightly sweeter and silky texture, although I would certainly recommend to order it at the end of a visit to the bar. Everything was perfect here, from the premises to the service and the cocktails, the drinks were probably the highlight of my entire trip!
La Flama
| Mezcal
| Cynar
| Aperol
| Grapefruit Cordial
Kingston Negroni 2.0
| Appleton Estate
| Campari
| Cynar
| Banana
Mint Punch
| Mount Gay Eclipse
| Branca Menta
| Yellow Chartreuse
| Pineapple
| Coconut
Copyright: Ghetto Bar
Ghetto Bar
Our next bar to be discussed appealed to me as soon as I walked in, especially aesthetically. Firstly, the design language chosen, which I found exciting, as I have rarely seen a bar interior like this before:
Smooth concrete walls, steel elements everywhere and bright lighting made up the majority of the style. It could also be a very modern daytime bistro, with correspondingly progressive international or Asian cuisine, which is of course so instagrammable these days. Just reading that - being more into your oldschool speakeasy style bars - it wouldn't appeal to me at all, but when I sat there at the counter, I thought it was great and quite impressive, you immediately realise that there was a lot of planning and precision behind it.
Behind the bar, I continued to have fun with my usual bar game of looking at an extensive back bar and guessing which was the most expensive bottle. In turn, I struck up a conversation with the very active and open bartender, a young, agile guy who waited attentively for our order and then put on a great show throwing cocktails as he prepared them. A bit on the fancy side, but the quality was up to scratch.
In addition to a few signature drinks - which were very tasty but whose names I couldn't remember - I also tried a classic that was previously unknown to me, the Army and Navy. Quite simple, but very effective in its equal parts refreshing and sweet balance. This was followed by another modern classic, the Bramble, which was also crisp, juicy and fresh to the point, as it should be. Unfortunately, in terms of guest volume there wasn't much going on here, so I didn't experience the atmosphere at a cool place like this at peak times - either way, I would definitely come back and can highly recommend a visit. Be it because of the consistently well-made drinks or the cool interior design.
Army and Navy
| Gin
| Lemon
| Almond
| Angostura
Bramble
| Gin
| Lemon
| Simple Syrup
| Crème de Mûre
Copyright: Chester & Punk
Chester & Punk
The Chester & Punk brings the list full circle, as it is located in the centre of Málaga, just around the corner from the Renard Cocktail Club mentioned at the beginning. Renard had already shown me that the location doesn't necessarily suggest a tourist trap and as the C&P was mentioned three times in the recommendations of the other bartenders, there had to be something behind it and there certainly was.
The style of the bar made me feel like I was sitting in a mixture of a modernised American diner and a punk club, with stylish retro leather elements on the one hand and modern neon signs on the wall on the other. The name also hints at this dichotomy, even in the menu there is the "Chester Collection", which consists of classics and the "Punk Collection", consisting of modern signatures. The latter also often have a classic as their basis, which has just been reinterpreted in an interesting way.
There was a lot to see at the back bar - I guessed that the most expensive bottle was a Macallan 30 at around €6,000 a bottle. A hip bartender with a cap gave great advice and then created some equally great drinks. One was the Eternal, a well-balanced and modernised Cosmopolitan. I don't find it easy to prepare these myself in a modern, high quality without getting it too sweet (as is the case with 90% of the recipes found online), so I found this twist particularly exciting. I was sceptical as to whether it would taste too floral and light, but the subtle notes of hibiscus and roses were very well embedded and not too overpowering. The presentation of the drink in a glass bell jar filled with smoke was also magnificent. The modern riff on a White Lady, the Punk-Da, should also be tried when you visit. It's absolutely brilliant how the different notes harmonise with each other, yet can still be tasted individually and at the same time the drink doesn't seem overloaded. The presentation with the Panda mug naturally uses a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour, but the punk haircut of the bear to match the theme of the bar actually made me smile.
Eternal
| VOX Vodka
| Kaffir Lime
| Hibiscus
| Verdejo
| Rose
Punk-Da
| Gin Roku
| Yuzu
| Ginger
| Peach
| Jasmine
In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer quantity and quality of the bars in the city on the Spanish coast. For a city with "only" 600,000 inhabitants, you are spoilt for choice and we have not yet discussed a few well-known ones here, such as the speakeasy "The Pharmacy", as I was personally a little disappointed and the visit was quite short.
The sheer number of bars with a certain level of sophistication can of course also be attributed to Málaga's status as a major tourist hotspot, but at the same time this has never had a noticeable effect on the type or quality of those cocktail joints. Sure, on average the drinks are perhaps a little on the more drinkable side than in a few other Central European cities or in the States, but you generally see this more often in southern Europe thanks to the different temperatures. Either way, Málaga really showcases a crafty modern cocktail culture and therefore has with all its other qualities an incredible amount to offer as a destination for your next (bar) trip.
/tw