Best Madrid Cocktails

When in Madrid, a tasting tour of the city’s best cocktails is a must.

With classy bars and chic bars brimming with delicious drinks, you’ll give your taste buds a treat by trying Madrid’s top cocktails. From the vodka and brandy-based El Diego to the fruity cocktails, Madrid’s menu of delish boozy drinks is unmatched.

Here’s your essential guide to the best cocktails in Madrid.

The star of the show? Its eponymous cocktail, El Diego. Composed of vodka, Advocaat, apricot brandy, and Lima, El Diego packs a punch in both flavour and alcohol percentage.

Founded by Fernando del Diego, a student of the famous Perico Chicote and creator of the Association of Spanish Bartenders in 1964, Del Diego cocktail bar is a staple of Madrid’s drinking scene. 

The bar prides itself on the highest quality ingredients and the highest calibre of expertise – this is why the elite clientele is always here.

If you like the sound of the historical Del Diego, why not go one further and sample the delights of Perico Chicote’s bar, Museo Chicote? 

Its signature drink is glamorous, consisting of sweet vermouth, Geneva, orange Curacao, and Grand Marnier, with a lemon crown to top it off.

Founded in 1931, Museo Chicote claims to be the first cocktail bar in Spain. 

Its glamorous art deco interior is a relic of a bygone era, designed by famous architect Luis Gutiérrez Soto, who Chicote requested personally.

Thanks to the reputation the bar has garnered, it is a preferred spot for both tourists and locals.

Supposedly as medicinal as its name suggests, 1862 Dry Bar’s take on the classic Penicillin cocktail is perfect for wintertime tourists who need to warm their frozen limbs with a honey-based tipple. 

The recipe for this Madrid cocktail is scotch, lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup, and candied ginger. The boozy drink is guaranteed to warm the cockles of any passer-by who stumbles across it. 

The bar even serves it with two single malt whiskies and a ginger chocolate bar during the winter months. 

Dry Bar – a drinking spot set in a historic 19th century manor house – calls the penicillin one of their favorite drinks. It’s not difficult to see why.

Everyone who is a cocktail aficionado or wishes to indulge into top-notch mixology will be here.

Nothing livens up a cocktail menu like a specially-crafted anniversary drink, which is precisely what En Búsqueda De La Luz is.

Made of Brugal 1888 rum, Pimm’s, lemon juice, chai syrup, and Schweppes limón, En Búsqueda De La Luz (translated as “in search of the light”) slots deliciously into the sweet-but-sour corner of the cocktail world.

Based in Madrid’s colorful Calle de Echegaray – a bustling street that was a red-light district in the wake of the Spanish Civil War – Salmon Guru is the perfect launch spot for a long night of drinking. 

It also ranks 22nd in the list of the World’s Best Bars, which is a well-deserved gold star. Naturally, everyone who lives or visits Madrid pays (at least) a visit to this cozy watering hole.

For all the bookworms out there, this is the cocktail for you.

The fruity concoction is made up of rum, lime, blueberries, ginger, and pineapple – practically your 5 a day, right?

Quijote y Sancho gets its name from the main characters of the Spanish classic, Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes (AKA one of the most widely-translated novels of all time).

A night at the Sambhad Cocktail Bar Terraza promises delicious cocktails and snacks, with a collegiate atmosphere to top off your evening.

Since it’s located south of the sprawling campus of the Complutense University of Madrid, it makes a go-to spot for students.

If none of the fruity cocktails on this list have tickled your fancy so far, Mardi Gras – a fresh and herbal number – might be your go-to choice. 

Made up of mint-infused tequila, basil, peach, jasmine, sage, egg white, celery, and lime, the cocktail boasts an impressive ingredients list yielding a complex flavor combination.

The founder of Baton Rouge, Diego Gonzalez, spent ten years working in capital cities across the globe – from London and New York to Mexico City. 

He felt that his hometown was lacking in cocktail excellence, so he returned in 2017. Baton Rouge was born, featuring a uniquely extensive menu. 

For those of us with less refined preferences, Baton Rouge also offers classics like Negroni and Piña Colada, leaving you free to get as adventurous as you like.

With its cozy and alternative vibe, this bar attracts a wide array of cocktail lovers.

Our top pick is Destrabe – a sample of liquid heaven composed of brandy, Marie Brizard amaretto, plum wine, and absinthe.

Hidden somewhere in Madrid (actually located close to the Prado Museum), La Santoría Cocktail Bar is a lesser-known jewel in the crown of the city’s drinking scene. 

For the lucky few who have stumbled across it, the bar offers a selection of cocktails served up as magical potions.

The best part? They’re all completely vegan, meaning anyone and everyone can enjoy the entire menu.

Everybody who wants a unique cocktail experience will pass this cocktail bar’s doors.

Craving a yummy boozy potion? Masala Fizz – involving a sprinkle of masala spice – and Polski Fizz, where the gin component is replaced by Zubrówka vodka, apples, lime, and egg whites are your best bet.

Owned by a Madrileños couple in a cozy neighborhood, Savas Bar offers something slightly different from the wild nights of some of the capital’s better-known cocktail establishments. 

And it’s certainly not to be sniffed at. Their menu brims with classic cocktails featuring a Savas twist and  a variety of takes on the traditional gin fizz.

Anybody who is hunting for a classy Madrid cocktail in a comfy environment will know Savas Bar is the best bet.

Indian Tikki embodies a transcontinental vibe, combining Santa Teresa Añejo rum, Orgeat syrup, passion fruit juice, and limes. It pretty much creates a multicultural concoction that sends your taste buds around the world in a sip. 

With “the most original cocktails in the capital” (according to themselves), Benares combines classic cocktails with a South Asian twist. 

They’ve got a pretty well-regarded food menu, if you’re looking to supplement your liquid dinner with some actual dinner.

Thanks to its Asian vibe, you should expect more international people than Madrileños.

The Smoked Berries combines fresh ginger droplets, sugar, Lagavulin 16 YO, fresh lemon juice, Bombay Sapphire, and blackberry Liqueur.

Created by Javier de las Muelas, the Dry Martini concept is a Spanish classic, with another near-identical branch in Barcelona.

Sitting in the Hotel Fénix, de Gran Meliá Madrid, the bar offers a selection of high-quality and stylish Madrid cocktails, along with a range of delicious snacks.

If you decide to pop in at Dry Martini, you will most probably rub shoulder with businessmen and entrepreneurs.

The delish Tepachita is made with tequila tepache, triple sec and lime juice – this one’s for you, Margarita lovers.

Macera Tallerbar is the first bar in Madrid that doesn’t have commercial liquor brands at its core. Instead, the mixologists use the bar’s own spirits, traditionally distilled through the maceration technique.

If you’re looking for an original cocktail, Macera Tallerbar is the place to go.

If you need some GPS details, you can find the bar near Gay Madrid & the Chueca District.

With it’s laid-back vibe, this bar usually attracts younger crowds.

One of the bar’s must-try Bloody Marys is conveniently named Bloody Angelita, a combination of vodka infused with celery, homemade spices, sherry wine, and homemade tomato juice.

A two-fold wine bar and hidden cocktail bar, the Madrid Angelita will offer all that your taste buds desire. Its stock of more than 1,000 different types of spirits and wines will help for sure.

The basement cocktail bar uses homemade ingredients, flaunting its creativity in flavor and presentation. The bar sits near the Edificio del Círculo de Unión Mercantil, making it a go-to spot for post-work drinks.

Surprise yourself with their signature bartender creations, such as this Penelope Spritz. It translates into an eclectic blend of Martini Fiero Aperitif Liqueur, Swiss cherry liqueur, fizzy soda, and champagne.

Located in the Plaza de la Independencia, Patio de Leonas offers the best of Spanish gastronomy.  The picturesque tavern serves delicious tapas, along with a menu of authentic craft cocktails.

The place is usually brimming with tourists looking for an authentic Spanish experience when it comes to food and cocktails.

Bier fest is a whiskey and beer cocktail ideal for malt lovers – delicate, tasty, and perfect to drink in the winter.

More than your average Madrid cocktail bar, The Dash is all about the experience of drinking. Founder Ruben deGarcia has created his own local adventure in the neighborhood of Chamberi. 

Drinks at The Dash are some of the best in Madrid, sticking to traditional distilling methods and drink making. 

Part of their new menu, Garibaldi is the bar’s version of the classic New York cocktail. It embodies a combination of bitter Italicus, orange, and Calamansi lemons.

Saddle is a contemporary classic restaurant in the Spanish capital. Sophisticated and warm, this bar is the perfect spot to unwind at any time of the day.

The upscale décor and pricey cocktails call for one thing – a VIP clientele.