Pax 49: Good Vibes, Craft Cocktails
Hi Everyone! This is going to be a short post about Pax 49, a cocktail bar in Barcelona. I had dinner reservations at Eldiset (a nearby restaurant) but had an hour to kill. So, I decided to check out this dope cocktail bar, which, by the way, had a really cool vibe as you can see in the picture above. When I went around 5:00pm, it was almost completely empty so I sat at the bar.
Let's back up a bit. Just an hour before we arrived at Pax 49, I was sitting at the back of a Vespa, clinging on for dear life as I sped through the unknown streets and alleyways of Barcelona. This was my first time on a motorized, two-wheeled machine of doom. I was honestly very worried the whole time.
I stopped at the beach for a break and immediately rushed over to a nearby bar to order a drink and calm my palpitations. After that quick break, I had to make my way back to the Vespa store. It was quite the journey and got lost several times because I didn't know my way around the city. When I finally parked the Vespa, I embraced the fact that I was still alive and standing on solid ground on my own.
Fast-forward to Pax 49, my sights were already set on getting a cocktail. I needed to reward myself for such bravery! My cocktail of choice was called Dutch Courage, which I thought was the most fitting choice given that I spent the last two hours wondering if I would survive. Dutch Courage is a term used to describe the additional courage you get after drinking.
Anyway, the Dutch Courage at Pax 49 was light, floral, and refreshing (see above). It was made with Genever (pronounced "JE-KNEE-VUR"). Genever is kind of related to Gin but it's not the same thing. It's harder to find because the EU created an AOC (Appellation d’origine contrôlée) on the product, which means that real Genever has to be made a certain way and can only be produced in Holland, Belgium, and some areas of France and Germany.
Genever is clear in color so it looks like Gin. It's also very herbaceous and floral, which makes it smell and taste like Gin too. The main difference is that it's got a smooth and malty flavor that is reminiscent of whiskey. The Dutch Courage Cocktail also came with Aperol and Grapefruit. Aperol is an Italian apéritif. It has hints of citrus peel and some herbal notes.
I saw another table get the Basil Club (see above) and immediately fell in love. It was pristine. The base spirit was a Gin Sour, which is just a mixture of Gin, Lemon, and Sugar. It was shaken with Frozen Raspberries and Egg White, which helped create that frothy texture on top of the cocktail. Lastly, it was topped with a Basil leaf and some Ground Pepper.