Meet the cocktail expert: Raimondo Palomba

In our section “Meet the cocktail expert” we present some people in the cocktail industry you should meet… We kindly asked them to present themselves and to share their favorite cocktail with us. Cheers!! Today we present you Raimondo Palomba

“Atelier and his artisan: Raimondo Palomba”

What is your history?

I am started working in my hometown of Naples with just 15 years as an event organizer combining it with my cocktail studios at F.B.S. Then I moved to London and

Madrid with the aim of opening more business opportunities working as a mixologist, consultant and trainer in different cocktail schools. Then I decided to move to

Gran Canaria as a home for my next and current project: Atelier Cocktail bar situated on the rooftop of the five stars hotel Bohemia Suites & Spa.

What is your favorite cocktail?

I have many favorite cocktails! Some of them are Negroni, Martinez, Vieux carrè and Sazerac.

What is your vision on the future trends in cocktail?

In my opinion, this is a great moment for the bar industry because things are changing so fast. Some Bartenders are still working with classics recipes, some Bartenders are playing with twists on classics, some Bartenders are creating a new cocktail culture based on the gastronomy concept and some of them try to mix all of this things. I think that all offers are great because there are customers for any different kind of cocktail bar.

What is Atelier?

Atelier Cocktail bar is located on the island of Gran Canaria, specifically, across one of the biggest and most untouched plots of sand, Maspalomas. An extraordinary beach in the southern side of the island extends for miles and paints a beautiful scene full of dunes which is quite unique in the island. Gran Canaria is home to one of the best climates in the world, 300 days of sunshine and very little rain, boosts comfort and health. This island is part of the Canary Islands (Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean about 130 miles off the coast of Africa).

The Atelier’s philosophy is based on being that place where you receive detailed attention, a special attention. That added value of the “human factor” is our cornerstone: it is like going to a clothing store or an atelier, where you await the design of a custom suit, paid detailed and special attention to, as well as relying on the knowledge and creativity of the master craftsman, who every day prepares in “homemade” fashion as many of his ingredients as is possible.

For other hand, this is a work and life ethic that favors the local, seasonal produce and its producers, bringing the best out of the raw material through our creations. It is important to know the raw material with which things are produced, otherwise, it would be hard to understand and recognize a quality product. Atelier Cocktail bar presents a space in which different arts can be brought together, starting with cocktails, cooking, baking or craftwork, into a new way of expressing themselves.

What is Bohemia Suites & Spa?

Bohemia is a unique place, designed for open-minded people who like to enjoy life to the max and pamper their senses. The sky-bar trend is on the rise and Atelier is one of its pioneers, located in such a privileged place as is the 8th floor of the ‘Design hotel’ Bohemia Suites & Spa*****. Inaugurated in September 2012, this oasis-like design combines luxury with multipurpose spaces providing a secret and hidden getaway to enjoy the most serene peace and privacy.

It’s an exclusive place with the most unique views, both of its interior as well as the impressive panoramic scene of the Atlantic Ocean and the Maspalomas dunes, as appreciated in the exterior terrace, where you can gaze upon one of the best sunsets in the island. The hotel has been awarded by the prestigious Condé Nast Johansens Excellence Awards 2017 (best service) and 2018 (best for romance).

The music and the atmosphere play a fundamental role, right?

The complicated part is creating the right atmosphere in the cocktail bar; it’s fleeting but utterly fundamental. I try to experiment with different musical styles to create an eclectic mix, constantly evolving and vibrating while never static.

Creating a complete experience is something fundamental in a cocktail bar for you. What does it consist of?

It is so important to stimulates the five senses: Smell and taste are important but if we hope to achieve a complete experience we must also stimulate our hearing, sight and touch. For this reason the views, the music, the fire, the bar snack, the cocktail menu, the presentation of each cocktail and the blends play a vital role, but above all “the service and the human factor”.

What is “Diary of a Bartender”?

Atelier’s cocktail menu is called “Diary of a Bartender”, here every cocktail is a concept in its own and has a story to tell. It is a diary that takes us on a journey where we live other lives, taking us back to places we’ve been and experiencing new emotions by capturing their essence.

The experience of a cocktail should not end with the drink, it must continue its completion through the evolution of flavors due to the combinations that I propose in each cocktail, serving a little “sider” paired with each cocktail, opening the door to a realm full of imagination, color, flavors, textures, scents and new mixes. This is why I ensure that the client has a certain interaction with each cocktail and can enjoy himself by adding his personal touch to it. The Atelier’s team job does not begin or end behind the bar, it carries on from earlier with the artisan production in the preparation of combinations and homemade elaborations.

Tell us about Atelier’s team

The search for excellence should have no boundaries which is why we are constantly improving. This is our goal each day since reaching a level of excellence in the service means that the customer has a higher impression than his previous expectations. A customer who upon exit “sees no reason to complain” has not experienced the excellence of the service. However, if the first thing he wants to do is tell the next person he sees about the amazing quality of the service, that is a sign of excellence. To achieve this, it is essential to be a tight group, that carry out their jobs with passion and to be open to the customers, making time to speak and have a nice time together, which is absolutely paramount since we believe the most important part is to make each of our customers feel like at an “old friend’s house” receiving customized attention and that added value that makes the difference.

Also a well trained team is the most important part for us, which is why we invest in annual in-house training courses, in-house Masterclasses for the team with top exponents, organized trips to distilleries to deepen the knowledge on the production process, attend international fairs to be up to speed with the latest trends, visits to the best cocktail bars or external training services.

Furthermore, we also organize workshops, Masterclasses for customers and activities “in situ” with craftsmen to have them learn firsthand about the production process of the ingredients and find out more about alcohol and cocktails to better inform the customer in order to have critical capacity regarding drinks.

In summary we try to have an extensive knowledge of cocktails and spirits: Knowing the history, elaboration and combinations in order to be objective and offer unbiased and professional assessment to each customer, handing them a critical capability so that they themselves make the choice of what to drink and not be swept by the trends.

Signature Cocktails

Aperitif Cocktail: EXPERIMENTAL MARTINI

Choose your classic Dry Martini of Grey Goose vodka or Gin nº 3 and experience by yourself how to give your personal touch to an all-time classic cocktail with our homemade essential oils of lemon, basil or rosemary. It is paired with a foie gras macaroon, fine sherry wine and squid ink on lyophilized olives.

Preparation: Previously cool the mini Martini glass and put on ice the other container. Cool the mixing glass, drain the water, pour the vermouth, stir and drain the vermouth ice again, pour the gin or vodka and stir until achieving the desired cold point and dilution. Pour half mix into the mini Martini glass and the other half into the other container.

All day Cocktail: ASIAN MARY

This is his oriental version of classic Bloody Mary. It is elaborated with Rosemary-infused Zubrówka vodka, tomato juice, soja sauce, Worcestershire sauce, celery bitter, wasabi, lemon and ginger.

Preparation: *Previous elaboration of vodka infusion with rosemary branches. Use two small mixing glasses or two cocktail shakers to elaborate this cocktail using the technique of scanned or thrown.

For this in one of the containers add all the ingredients and some ice cubes, use a caterpillar strainer that fits well into the container. Pass the mix from one container to the other giving it height to oxygenate and cool it at the same time. Serve in a design glass and decorate with a branch of rosemary, olives skewer and a crusta of Chinese spices.

Digestive Cocktail: GUANCHE ALEXANDER

This is his Canarian twist on the classic Alexander. Aldea single cane rum, homemade almond milk, Mozart white liqueur and a pinch of gofio flour! It is paired with a homemade gofio meringue cone and chocolate peta-zetas on homemade chocolate crumble and sugar rocks.

Preparation: Put 3-5 ice rock cubes in a the glass shaker, then add all the ingredients and shake vigorously to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Serve in a coupette cup sprinkling gofio on it previously using double strainer and decorate it.