With stunning views of the Manhattan skyline, in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, near Miami Beach or in the lively River North neighborhood of Chicago. The famous Broken Shaker cocktail bars were only successful on the other side of the pond. Until now, when the first European branch has landed in Madrid, next to Gran Vía. Will the native version receive a visit from celebrities, as American tradition dictates? Actress Emma Roberts, tennis player Venus Williams and rapper Kanye West have walked through Broken Shaker Miami. And in Broken Shaker Chicago Sade herself acted.
If the cocktail temple present in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York already won the Best American Hotel Bar Award in 2015 by Tales of The Cocktail and has even been part of the privileged list of the 50 Best Bars, this 2023 can boast another award: the one awarded to Christine Wiseman as U.S. Bartender of the Year for her work at Marygold's Florida Brasserie and at Broken Shaker Miami. What better reasons to continue growing in other parts of the world and celebrate their innovative mixology.
Like its predecessors, which take over the rooftops of the Freehand Hotels in the United States and now also of the Generator network, Broken Shaker has landed on the rooftop of the Generator Madrid hotel (c/Silva, 1). “It arrives at a great time when cocktails are booming, following new trends and always maintaining a taste for tradition,” said Alastair Thomann, CEO of Generator.
This cocktail concept was born in 2012 by two great mixologists, Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi, as a result of their desire to break the mold within the industry and offer a meeting point where people could have a good cocktail, but without having to fall into the shackles and regulatory restrictions of this type of space. Two ideas that led them to found Broken Shaker in the backyard of the Freehand Miami hotel. There was born what, today, is one of the most important cocktail bars in the United States.
Until the weather holds (Broken Shaker Madrid will close its season at the end of November), the rooftop of Generator Madrid has been transformed into an urban tropical oasis with abundant vegetation, cheerful textiles that decorate bamboo sofas and a tiki-style bar. Under the direction of mixologist Christine Wiseman, the team of bartenders gives life to cocktails with an adventurous spirit, full of flavor and made in an artisanal way: emphasizing the use of fresh ingredients, such as fruits, herbs and spices, always included in their recipes to give them complexity. This is how they prepare the perfect mix of elixirs, syrups and infusions, combined with aromatic herbs, freshly squeezed juices and exotic ingredients.
The menu offers preparations such as El Vato Swizzle with fresh watermelon, spicy cordial and lemon juice; and the Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe, with lemongrass, basil, pineapple and lemon juice. But Broken Shaker Madrid's liquid menu also finds inspiration in flavors from around the world, as demonstrated by the Shell Beach Caipirinha, with Havana Club 3 years, cachaça, St. Germain, Sichuan melon syrup and lime juice; or the Trash Tini, with Gray Goose, Bombay Dry, Luxardo Bitter Blanco and dry vermouth infused with roasted onion and celery.
Are you not convinced? Then try Hey Richie, with white vermouth, Aperol, olive essence, herbal bitters and sparkling water; the Cardi B (Boulevardier), with pineapple-infused Campari, Bulleit Rye bourbon and Cocchi vermouth; or The Banger, with Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Italicus liqueur, shaken with kiwi, cucumber, mixed herbs and lime juice.
As not everything was going to be drinking, their informal food menu does not lack nods to the United States with dishes such as pickled cucumbers with sesame, chicken wings with sweet chilli sauce; the Shaker Burger, with bacon, cheddar cheese, onion, pickles and Shaker sauce; the Korean Chicken Sandwich, with Korean chicken and kimchi ali-oli; and Fish Tacos, beer-battered and served with cabbage and ali-oli.
