The onset for Chicote couldn’t be any humbler. Born in 1899, he lost his father quite soon and grew up in the pubs of the Montenses marketplace, serving laborers drinks of catgut her own mother used to make to soothe the icy daybreaks of the Madrid winter. He used to rush to school after that only to dole out telegrams from his bicycle later in the afternoon. A particular finding marked his existence and that came to pass when he showed up at the bar of the Ritz Hotel, at age 17, where he eventually worked as a waiter. Later on he enlisted for the war in Morocco and became chief of Spanish canteens. It was right there where he understood that the hotel business was to be his walk of life. Back in Spain and to the Savoy hotel, he stood tall as the bartender at the Cook and settled down behind the counter of the Pidoux Bar. In September 1931, he made his golden dream come true: he opened his own bar on 12 Conde de Peñalver Avenue –currently La Gran Via- thus putting that nightspot forever on the nights of Madrid.

An array of boldface names from literature, the arts and politics of the 1940s, 50s and 60s walked past the swing doors of the Chicote Bar: presidents like D. Eisenhower, writers like Hemingway, scientists like Alexander Fleming, monarchs like Rainiero of Monaco and Princess Grace Kelly, and movie stars like Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner, Lana Turner, Gary Cooper, Orson Wells... you name it. In 1947, Chicote had panned out to be a prestigious trademark out of its own right. The jet-set of that time embraced it. It was there where they ordered cocktails for the parties of Dukes and Marquises, and it even made the rounds as a traditional Madrid element. Chicote had put together so many curious bottles that he opened his own Museum of Drinks in the basement of his bar –a new attraction for Madrid residents and lovers of the ultimate booze. According to Carmen Sevilla, the basement was the venue for the signing of movie contracts and the staging of fantastic tasting sessions. It wasn’t just a museum of bottles and beverages, but the home to memorabilia and beautiful people.

A BARTENDER’S PRIMETIME

Franco’s advocates –who were not twiddling their thumbs at alllooked the other way. Chicote was the finest ambassador they could have ever dreamed of. He was interviewed for the NO-DO telecast newsreel and when President Eisenhower was dazzled by his peerless wines, the pub on 12 Gran Via majored in politics. From that moment on, nobody ever dared to bother him again. That was the best of times for a humble catgut slinger. He traveled around the world, especially across Latin America and North America, packed with Spanish-made products and beverages like the very best ambassador and promoter. During those tours, his fame as a barman accrued. He made friends and rubbed elbows with the likes of Cantinflas, Elizabeth Taylor, Gary Cooper, Walt Disney and many other celebrities.

AN AMAZING INNOVATOR

Winning back the public’s interest and reinventing itself without changing the decoration of a larger-than-life spot are the challenges the new management at the Chicote has taken on since 2001. Led by Pedro Serrano and Alexis Rojas, these men are steering the rebirth of the museum into the 21st century. “In addition to his values as a bartender, Chicote was a talented and amazing innovator,” Alexis told Travel, “in terms of public relations as we know them today.” Cocktails in Times of Dictatorship

During the Franco regime, even a bartender with a flair for innovation has to be bold.At the time, the champions of the dictatorship blasted the cocktail as an imported Anglicism. Chicote remained cautious, yet unwavering in his efforts.He knew that the Franco administration would eventually give up on the unstoppable catch of the American bar. It was only a matter of time. In a bid to rush things, he came up with something completely unexpected: a touch of gin-peppered red vermouth and Grand Manier came together to create the Chicote Cocktail –a drink that swept high-lifers off their feet despite a staggering price tag for the 1940s: 3 pesetas for a regular and a five-peseta coin for the special.Yet it was worth the money because it introduced Madrid residents to the best raw materials: Irish whiskey and genuine Scotch,French cognac and Oporto distilled by the gods. An assortment of half-bred cocktails –like Cuba Libre,Yacare, Mojito and Daiquiri- came along.

Word has it that bartenders are good at gossiping. ¡ However,Chicote was the exception to the rule. The more we know about his public life,the less we know about his privacy.Destiny wanted to pay tribute to him: he passed away on Christmas Day, 1977,the same day in which Charles Chaplin died. The Wizard of Cocktails had departed together with the Master of Melancholic Laughter.A note of silence for the lord of the bars while the faithful parishioners waited mutedly for the last drink of the night. Over four decades of serving the public and building good tastes were left behind in Madrid, the city of amorous compliments and schottisches that had been conquered by the cocktail. His hundreds and hundreds of recipes for unforgettable drinks have stayed after his death,and so have the teachings of a professional expert who made his daily life worth living:

“THE KEY TO BECOMING A GOOD BARTENDER IS FUNNINESS. YOU OUGHT TO BE FUNNY AND GENEROUS.I MEAN LEGIT FUNNINESS, NOT THE FAKED KIND.THEN,YOU HAVE TO STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY, TALK ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS WITH CUSTOMERS,KNOW BEFOREHAND ¡ THE NAME OF TOMORROW’S BULLFIGHTER, WHERE THE NEXT SOCCER GAME IS GONNA BE,ANDWHAT NEW ATTRACTIONS WILL BE COMING ONSTAGE. AFTER THAT, THE MASTERY OF DRINK BLENDS IS SECONDARY.IT’S BETTER TO BE LIKE THAT,NO MATTER IF YOU ONLY KNOW 10 RECIPES, RATHER THAN NOT BEING FUNNY OR A PEOPLE’S MAN, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY KNOW 10,000 RECIPES.”

PEDRO CHICOTE