At Look the Luxury, we interviewed Renato Medina, bartender at Astor, one of Madrid’s most innovative bars. Winner of the 2017 Regional Final of Made With Love, Renato is known for his skill in crafting unique cocktails such as “The American Dream”, a surprising balance of Bulldog Gin, calamansi, beetroot, and blood orange.
At Astor, the art of mixology is combined with a carefully curated food pairing proposal, creating a memorable experience in the heart of the capital.
Renato, you are one of the leading figures in Madrid’s cocktail scene. How did your passion for cocktails begin, and what led you to become a bartender?
I couldn’t pinpoint a specific moment as if it were an epiphany. I imagine that the gradual way this vocation revealed itself to me is because it’s a profession for adults, made by adults; it’s hard to picture a child dreaming of properly handling and mixing spirits. In fact, parents should probably try to dissuade them. But just as my love for this job slowly developed, once I got to know it (through study and working in large – both qualitatively and quantitatively speaking – bar teams), it became irrefutable. I wanted, and still want, to perfect my skills as much as possible. I do a lot of research and keep an eye on colleagues I admire. (We all do this, which is perhaps one of the reasons for the strength of the industry we have. This constant curiosity shapes the sector.)
But if I step away from abstraction, I could arbitrarily pinpoint a memory as the starting point. To explain: Salvatore Calabrese appeared on TV with a mixing glass and a reddish drink inside (today I’d assume it was a Negroni), the ice was swirling in circles, and he was smiling kindly at his interlocutor. That small bit of magic in the air sparked great curiosity in me. Some months later, I looked into the training required for the profession and found, in my view, one of the most prestigious and serious courses offered by the Chamber of Commerce. They’re still offering it, of course. So, if you like, you could mark that as the origin, the seed of this beautiful madness that has accompanied me to this day and is my way of life.
Astor is known for its travelling cuisine and the fusion of flavours from Argentina, Peru, France, Italy, and Spain. How do you reflect this diversity in your cocktail creations?
I partially agree with the premise that Astor is a fusion of all those cultures, but I believe that if it is all that, it’s because it’s the result of the people who make it, who work hard and express it gastronomically in that way. In other words, it hasn’t been our goal, the result of a specific business plan – which wouldn’t be a bad thing, but that wasn’t the case – but rather the unconscious consequence that all the people present, as well as those who have left, have also left indelible marks, and those marks, the peculiarities of their knowledge and skills, have created this mélange that we are pleased to offer today. We have a vocation for change, so I can only partially accept that premise because maybe tomorrow you’ll ask me the same thing but mention a different fusion. However, what remains unchanged is that it will have responded to a shift in the human colour palette of Astor.
At Astor, we all leave our mark; that’s a fact. Therefore, my cocktails are a portrait, also seasonal, of what happens in the restaurant, with its kitchen and its dining area. A dialogue with those characteristics, of travellers; I borrow your imagery. Thus, it would be a sin to avoid innovation or to be complacent. Now, at this precise moment in terms of technique, as a sort of confession to you, with my cocktails, I want to convey what is appropriate with much less. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older.
In addition to your role as a bartender, you are one of the partners of the restaurant Astor. What has the process of becoming part of this group been like, and what values do you share with the team?
There haven’t been many changes – from employee to partner – in my operational development since I am still very much hands-on. I love the service and its adrenaline. We really are a team, and in the heat of it all, while hierarchies exist for the proper functioning of the business, the role of partner doesn’t take precedence over that of the responsible bartender because, in that moment – during service – we’re all equally useful. Once the service is over, of course, the other responsibilities come into play: payroll, fixed and variable costs, inventory, etc.
My personal story somewhat reflects what I mentioned earlier. I started as an employee for years, and the involvement of both parties – the business and myself – was so strong that our marks fused into one. We don’t rule out that this could continue happening with more people who join the family. Why not?
The cocktails at Astor stand out for their originality. Can you tell us about one of your favourite cocktails and what makes it special to you?
We have a cocktail called Mr. Piazzolla. The name “Astor” pays tribute to the Argentine bandoneon player. When I started working at the restaurant, I honestly didn’t know the musician. One day, before service, we listened to his music attentively, and I remember it was time for Libertango. It generated so many different sensations in me, as the piece has many parts that are striking and oscillate maniacally. At times, it also has an incredible calmness. It awakened gustatory sensations in me as well; I discovered synesthesia right there. (If you’re not familiar with Libertango, I invite you to listen to it.) I grabbed a pen and got to work, unraveling it ingredient by ingredient. I knew I needed a bitter and a liqueur to maintain that contradiction of highs and lows. The gin and the fino came in later with the second listen and the nuances. The cocktail is still on the menu; we continue to keep that evocation because we believe it’s part of our identity. You are all invited to try it, of course.
