Giacomo Giannotti: Paradiso (Barcelona)

Giacomo Giannotti is the bar manager at Paradiso in Barcelona. He makes two cocktails for us, one with whisky and Truffle Honey and the second with Vodka and Saint Germain Liqueur.

Giacomo introduce yourself
I grew up in a small city called Carrara in Tuscany, Italy. My parents owned an ice cream shop there and I was always mixing new flavours, tasting them and hanging out with our customers. I knew early on that I wanted to work in hospitality, but I wanted to do something different to their ice cream shop. When I finished school, I studied hospitality in Italy and realised if I wanted to excel in this industry I needed to learn English, so I moved to London and worked there for four and a half years. I missed the Mediterranean lifestyle, so decided to relocate to Barcelona where I worked at Clips in the W Hotel. I later moved to Ohla Boutique Hotel and it was whilst working here in 2014 I won World Class Spain. After that win I opened my own bar with two associates and named it after my parents ice cream shop… Paradiso.

The classic you want to show us
The Great Gatsby
50ml of Macallan Amber Whisky
10ml of Amaro Ramazzotti
7ml of Truffle Honey
3 dashes of Lavender Bitter
Smoked with Vanilla, Chocolate and Tobacco
Served with Blue Cheese

The bar you dream of
I’d love to open a sustainable bar and restaurant in the countryside near Barcelona.  I’d serve aperitivo style drinks to accompany food which would be made from everything we grew or produced on-site in our garden/farm.

What do you do in your time off
To be honest the bar is my passion so in my spare time I tend to do things associated with that, like masterclasses and tastings. Otherwise I try to get back to Italy to see my family, spend time with my girlfriend, play football and I love to cook.

The spirit you like the most
I like vodka as it’s hard to make it shine in a drink. It’s a more challenging spirit, which is probably why I like it.

What makes a good cocktail
For me it’s balance and surprise. I enjoy drinks that surprise me in some way, whether it’s taste, smell or the way it’s presented.

What ingredient do you enjoy using in cocktails
I always love using coriander leaves to add a great, fresh flavour to a drink.

The signature cocktail you want to show us
Mediterranean Treasure
50ml of Ketel One Vodka
20ml of Fino Sherry infused with Oyster Leaves
5ml of Saint Germain Edelflower Liqueur
17.5ml of Lemon Juice
12.5ml of Agave Syrup
6-8 of Fresh Leaves Coriander
1 Egg White

Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
Go to Oriole in London and visit Aaron Diaz at Carnivale in Peru.

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