The Cocktail Room, Madrid’s one-stop cocktail shop

Consider The Cocktail Room your one-stop shop for anything cocktail-related in Madrid, offering all the skills and tools needed for the art of mixology. Here you can delve into adventurous workshops on classic gin & tonics and luxurious aphrodisiac cocktails (better than couple’s therapy!), partake in daring sake and bourbon tastings, or try a three-hour course on how to make the 10 Best Cocktails in History. And for  any aspiring star mixologists out there, The Cocktail Master course offers 51 days and 153 hours of hands-on professional training.

If that doesn’t quite cut it,  The Cocktail Room also sells a wide collection of rare liqueurs, drink-making gadgets and recipe books. They even boast a showroom, professional testing-lab and space for private events.

The Cocktail Room‘s chic style blends effortlessly into its home on calle Castelló, 98, in the heart of Madrid’s upscale neighborhood. Run by a dynamic and international team who share a common passion for the craft of mixing the perfect drink,  The Cocktail Room is often called upon to host some of Madrid’s most stylish events, such as Madrid Fashion Week. Their creative mixing talents, hip themes and extensive knowledge put The Cocktail Room on top of Madrid’s burgeoning cocktail scene.

I was invited to The Cocktail Room on Valentine’s Day with my husband, James, to their first Aphrodisiac Cocktail Workshop, created and delivered by Max Vázquez. By the sound of it, I imagined I was going to attend a tasting, where I’d be sipping chocolate and cherry cocktails while listening to the ingredients for how to make the perfect mood-boosting concoction. Little did I know, the theory part was going to be brief. As I entered the candy and heart-decorated room with just a handful of other couples, Max and his assistant explained what was in store for us.

We would be making elixir-like cocktails from scratch, customized for our partners who were blindfolded. Yes, blindfolded! There was a table filled with all the different cocktail components; aromas, citrus, syrups, liqueurs, fruits, different-sized cocktail glasses, and more. After Max gave us a 20 minute introductory example, it was time for us to jump in and start mixing.

With our blindfolded partner waiting patiently beside the bar, our job was to pick out the five ingredients we thought they’d like, have them smell each one, and guide us based on their senses. Once we decided on each component, we helped our blindfolded partner to put the cocktail ingredients into the shaker, and then shake it up and pour it successfully into the glass (which we also picked out for them), without spilling all over themselves or the person sitting next to them. We topped it off with the fruit of our choice and voilá. Then the tables were turned.

an example of how to help your blindfolded loved one to make an aphrodisiac cocktail. much better than couple’s therapy…

my husband, James, tasting the white chocolate liqueur I picked out for him

Some couples got it right, some couples didn’t. James got it right. He made me a cocktail which I named Orange Delight. I, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well. I mixed way too much sweet amaretto, with way too much sweet white chocolate liqueur, then added too much chocolate aroma, and well, let’s just say it took plenty of post-attempts and tweakings to make it drinkable.

the cocktail my husband made me :)

The Cocktail Room offers a variety of different courses. Since G&T’s are my drink of choice, my next workshop will have to be the Gin Tonics workshop that they offer on Saturdays. Which one do you want to try?

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Address: c/ Castelló 98
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