Coralie Doillet is a Bartender at Sol y Sombra, in Barcelona. She makes two cocktails for us, one with Bacardi and Maraschino and the second with Calvados and Rye Whiskey.
Coralie introduce yourself
I am Coralie Doillet and I work at Sol y Sombra in Barcelona. I originally studied hospitality in Biarritz, France and thought cooking was my calling, then I discovered spirits and I knew that this was what I wanted to do, so I specialised in bartending for my final degree. I began to travel to learn other langages, because French was not enough, so I moved to South America. I went to Colombia and Argentina where I learnt Spanish and English, whilst also studying the history of bartending. The way they work there is totally different from Europe, because they don’t have access to the same range of spirits we do here and they have to be creative. For instance, they work a lot with bitters and are inspired by the italian classics. I met Jordi a year ago, and he works very differently, in the style of original speakeasy style. The more I learn, the more I love it.
The classic you want to show us
Mary Pickford
50ml of Bacardi 8
100ml of Pineapple Juice
6 drops of Luxardo Maraschino
1 dash of Grenadine
The bar you dream of
My dream bar would be small and simple, like a classic cosy tearoom in France to make people feel like you are at home, where you can read a book while you sip a cocktail. The music would be from the 50’s, including french artists like Edith Piaf. I love sweet things, so you’dfind cakes to nibble as well as a tearoom during the day. The drinks would evolve from day to night.
What do you do in your time off
I read a lot of books, and when I have more time I go to visit colleagues in other bars like Stereo 18 or 33 by Santi Oritz, a quiet bar to drink a good cocktail.
The spirit you like the most
I work a lot with Calvados, because it gives a little bit of sweetness and I use it in drinks like a Vieux Carré, And I use it instead of the Cognac. People have nicknamed me the Calvados Daughter, even if I am not from that region in France.
What makes a good cocktail
The products, especially the spirits and of course balance. And on top of that a good story. When you work behind a bar, you are there to sell an experience and a good story is part of that.
What ingredient do you enjoy using in cocktails
I love vermouth, because it goes well with any spirit and it’s very complementary with a lot of them. For instance Calvados and most of vermouths have a strong story, but when they are mixed together, it becomes the same story like they are made for each other. Even if at the same time Vermouth can be drink alone.
The signature cocktail you want to show us
Signature Vieux carré
20ml of Père Magloire Calvados
20ml of Bulleit Rye Whiskey
20ml of Antica Formula Carpano
20ml of Benedictine
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
3 dashes of Peychaud Bitters
Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
In Bordeaux, you need to go to Symbiose it’s amazing. And if you are in Buenos Aires go to Floreria Atlantico.