Paulo Gomes is the co-owner of Red Frog Speakeasy. He makes us two cocktails, one with Rye and Shoyu Caramel and the second with Madeira and Tobacco Mix.
Paulo introduce yourself
Born in the 80s in Ribatejo, my first contact with the hospitality industry was when I was 5 years old, when my father purchased a restaurant in the centre of Lisbon. At 12 years started playing basketball and with this practice, began the absorption and influence of American culture, being a great fan of the NBA and the rhythms of black music beats of the 80s and 90s. That made a great influence to begin as a DJ, who played with the alter ego “lostman” and which remained until 2004, the year when he left this hobby. In 1998, after leaving school, I began to work in the hospitality/tourism area in a hotel in Lisbon, where I worked the first three years in the accommodation area, moving in 2001 to the F&B area, from which I never left and stayed for 15 more years. In 2014, I started to create the “red frog speakeasy” project that opened in May 2015. In March 2019, I opened my second venue, “Monkey Mash”, and in the last year, opened the third bar, 18.68 cocktail boutique.
The classic you want to show us
Umami Sazerac
35ml of Bulleit Rye
35ml of Pierre-Ferrand Cognac infused with Black Sesame
15ml of Shoyu Caramel
Several Sprays of Absinthe
The bar you dream of
Concept farm to table, in a rural hotel with an immersive bar in the countryside where I can pick all the ingredients from the farm, on a cosy environement, with different prep stations like Lab, fermenting room, ice room, aging and cocking.
What do you do in your time off
That is quite short in my life! Family time is what I do more of. I have 4 daughters, so they take up quite all my free time, but listening to music, watching films, and reading are a big part of my spare time. Also, going into the countryside and just getting out of the busy, noisy, and intoxicated world is something that I like to do.
The spirit you like the most
I don’t have a favourite one, if is good and tasty, that’s what’s important, but in the last few years, fortified wines [port, madeira and moscatel] are what I’ve worked on more, because of the flavour profile, sweetness balance with acidity. In cocktails, they help to modify and amplify some flavour profiles.
What makes a good cocktail
Balance, right flavour profile and good company!
What ingredient do you enjoy using in a cocktail
Dairy: The different types and flavours that we can get from this, together with different applications and techniques that open a huge spectrum of integrations and combinations.
The signature cocktail you want to show us
American Gangster
70ml of Bulleit Bourbon
15ml of Madeira Blandy’s Harvest 2016 Malmsey
10ml of Coffee Liqueur
7.5ml of Maple Syrup
20ml of Ref Frog Amaro mix
1 spray of Tobacco mix
Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
First in Portugal, go to Torto in Porto, then in New York, go to Death & Co and to finish in São Paulo, Liquid Store.