A very personal list of this resident’s favourite restaurants and bars in Barcelona
A Spot of Lunch in Barcelona
Amaretto Sour
Amaretto Sour was devised in the 1970s as a promotion for almond liquor Disaronno, known then as Amaretto di Saronno. Originally it was just two parts amaretto to one part lemon juice. Nowadays it usually includes egg white and bourbon, and all the better for it.
Apple Brumble
Created by George Mulholland, one chilly November afternoon at Bar Gros
Army and Navy
You might readily assume from its makeup that this is from the Tiki cocktail scene, but the Army and Navy, essentially a Gin Fizz but with Orgeat replacing the sugar syrup, likely came from the Army and Navy officers’ club in Washington after an inter-forces football match, or so legend has it.
Bacon Vodka
Everything tastes better with bacon it is said. Well vodka certainly does and here’s how.
Baked Beans
In the end, in Britain, there are Heinz Beanz then there are, well, other brands and who eats those? As it says on the can ‘Beanz Meanz Heinz’
Beetroot Sorbet
Works well as an accompaniment to both a plate of cold meats or a dish of sweetened red fruits, or just as a palate cleanser between courses.
Black Pudding
At the end of the year, from Fiesta de San Martín, 11 November, until February, licensed butchers roam the rural regions of Andalucía for the annual matanza, the slaughter and butchery of the villagers’ pig that has been fattening over the previous year. This is a most social occasion for all the neighbours, done with ritual and much libation of rough liquor from the early hours onwards.
Bloody Caesar
In the past it has been known as the Smirnoff Smiler, the Gravel Gertie and the Imperial Clam Digger but the national drink of Canada is now and forever undoubtedly named the Bloody Caesar.
Bloody Maria
Not so much all about Maria. Here it is all about tequila. Use a fresh unoaked tequila blanco to keep the taste clean but agave-forward, not fighting with the rest of the ingredients; there is quite a party going on inside already.
Bloody Mary
Somehow the Bloody Mary feels so right to start a relaxing Sunday morning session. It is the pretence of drinking a salad while giving you a good kick to the body and brain alike that lets it slide down without guilt. At the same time it’s guaranteed to shift the most ingrained of hangovers.
Blow My Skull
Thomas Davey was the 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, 1813-1819, as Tasmania was then known. By all accounts, mostly by his superiors, he was completely unqualified and thoroughly unfit for the role. As an officer in His Majesty’s Marine Forces he had taken part in the Battle of Trafalgar. It was likely, in his time in the Navy, that he acquired a passion for strong drink, mostly rum, and drink he did.
Brains
It is strange how, even for lovers of offal, many find brains challenging. Strange, considering it has to be the most pure of any organ in the body and the most delicate.
Bramble
Dick Bradsell’s second most famous creation, after the Espresso Martini, the Bramble was, he said, inspired by the wild blackberries he used to pick on the Isle of Wight as a child.
Brandy Alexander
Harry Nilsson introduced them to John Lennon on Lennon’s ‘lost weekend’. While being ejected from a gig Lennon allegedly assaulted a waitress. Lennon said they “tasted like milkshakes.”
Bullshot
Not the vegetarian option by any means, the Bullshot, once favoured by Hemingway at Harry’s Bar in Venice, is yet another variant on Bloody Mary but this time made with beef consommé,
Bunny Mary
I thought I’d seen every variation on a Bloody Mary then this innovative delight swung my way. From Rob Krueger, formally of Extra Fancy, NYC, it has ‘refreshing summer hit’ stamped all over it. What’s up, Doc?
Caipirinha
Brazil’s national cocktail, Caipirinha has its roots, naturally enough, in Portugal. In its original form, ‘Madeiran aguardente de cana’ with lemon, garlic, and honey, it was said to give relief from Spanish Flu, though after a few you may have felt the symptoms.
Catalan Rom Cremat
Originating on the Costa Brava, through the rum shipping trade with Cuba, it is what Catalan fishermen drunk in the morning to warm themselves up in the winter. That would do the trick.
Caviar and Blinis
For a real oligarch’s breakfast make it Caviar served on Blinis. No need for Russian sanction busting. Iran produces beluga caviar, considered some of the finest available, taken from sturgeon that swim in the Caspian Sea that it borders. What is it about repressive regimes and insanely priced fish eggs?