Stephanie L.
Yelp
"Good things come in small packages" and the best bartenders are the ones who take the time to painstakingly mix an incredibly flavorful and potent cocktail that may be so smooth you'll think you're drinking soda. In the span of a few hours, or a couple of visits, they manage to instantly make you feel like a longtime regular. At Old Fashioned they achieve all this and more, valuing quality over space to deliver one of Barcelona's best cocktail finds in a casual and "old fashioned" setting.
Come early or run the risk standing, Old Fashioned is fairly limited on the seating and is basically either a handful of stools along with bar, or some red leather couchettes along the wall. That being said, this is a great place to come and imbibe at the start of your evening, when the bartenders have time to talk, and share some of their cocktail savvy. The menu is broken up by drink and genre, and places emphasis on artisanal and difficult-to-find brands. For example, there are two entire pages of "Gin Tonic Our Style" which offers such delightful choices as the "Hendrick's," a Gin and Tonic with rose petals, cucumber, and Fever Tree tonic water (P.S. love that they use Fever Tree) and the "The Duke" with Juniper berry, lavender bitter, orange peel and 1724 tonic water. In addition, there is of course a page of "Old Fashioned" choices, which range from the more traditional to the more creative. Although it takes 5-6 minutes to prepare, I highly recommend the sweet Fashionista, a sensational combination of Wild Turkey, Pedro Jimenez, flambé hazelnuts, light brown sugar, nougat, and chocolate mole bitters. They've also got "Classics selection" and the "Classics Our Style," which tend to be twists on the standards such as the "Porto Flip" with Ysabel Regina, Oporto, egg, hazelnut syrup and nutmeg. The "Author Cocktails" are more whimsical, such as the smooth "Bowery" with Excellia tequilla, Jagermeister, Chartreuse, rosemary flambé, lime juice, and cinnamon syrup. It is always nice to see a bar where they not only value the classics, but also know how to modernize the drinks, and add some of their own flair as well.
With such dangerously easy drinking concoctions, you may want to consider getting something to nibble on too. The cheese platter is a excellent choice, with several local cheese, crackers, and grapes serving as the perfect snack. Also, tourists may appreciate the free WiFi.
Whether a local or a visitor, if you like cocktails be sure to include Old Fashioned on your list of stops. It is a great find in Barcelona!