Cocktail gurus Opened in 2016 in the heart of Madrid by Argentina-born Diego Cabrera, Salmon Guru offers an entirely innovative and unexpected cocktail ambiance in the Spanish capital. It’s considered one of the best cocktail bars in Spain, having been placed at number 19 on prestigious The World’s 50 Best Bars 2019 list. We speak to the Diego, who reveals some of its favourites.
PHOTO: MARTIN MENDEZ
I entered the world of mixology purely by chance. When I was in my late teens, I worked on weekends while studying. No one would have thought that would be my career, but in the end it was the best decision of my life. My job allows me to be creative, but also pushes me to understand people better and always search for new ways of working. This is something that sets us at Salmon Guru, and our other venues, apart from the rest. I have tried to forge a unique atmosphere and ambience, which is therefore not something that can be copied. It must be created. For example, we have three completely different but complementary bars: Salmon Guru is our flagship first bar, eclectic with animal-print decorations, comics and
CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW Salmon Guru’s Diego Cabrera; the plush interior of the bar.
neons with crazy cocktails. Viva Madrid is an unusual and original tavern in a building dating back to 1856, making the atmosphere unique. The cocktails and food are creative yet classic. Finally, our last creation – Guru Lab. We only open two days a week because this is our place to work and create. Guru lab is our space to create and play around. I think that is very difficult to transmit your philosophy only with one menu, even if we work with the best designers, artisans and such. It’s the team who transmit the philosophy; the menu just supports the team. The four cocktails we have chosen for this piece represent the playful inventiveness of our philosophy and the teamwork that we have at Salmon Guru. Chipotle Chillon is a very special cocktail made with chile chipotle and mezcal. It is spicy and smoky, and we serve it with two lemonades: one with fresh ginger, which adds even more spice, and the other with fresh mint, which neutralises the spiciness. ¿Porque te Ríes? means ‘Why are you laughing?’. This is one of my favourite cocktails on the menu. It looks fun, and is a crazy combination of kombucha and roasted apple foam. Super-refreshing! Tumbo is one of the results of my trip around the Amazon; the glass represents one of the Amazonian flowers. It is made with the Amazonian fruit called tumbo. It is fruity, but with a good balance between sweet and sour. Monster Joe, maybe the most classic in this selection, is both sour and fruity. The cocktail is good on its own, but the combination of marshmallows makes it sublime!” » 87