On Calle Almirante Cadarso in the upmarket Eixample barrio of Valencia is ‘Maison Lupin’, a cocktail bar and lounge that takes its drinks to the next level. In fact, they have been inviting famous bartenders to come and make cocktails for one night only that surpass their guests’ wildest dreams both in flavours and in presentations.

This past Thursday night, June 19^th, was Diego Godia’s night behind the bar where he created his “Fuego del Sur” cocktail. I visited the bar that night, immediately impressed by the interior design of the lounge area and the outdoor seating that welcomed newcomers in. As a bar based on the character from French literature, Lupin has a mischievous air to it… that you can sense even before you step up to the bar. Lights cast purple and deep red shades everywhere, and the dark satin booths with low tables studding the walls gave the sense of high-class luxury as well.

A bust of the character Lupin invited me to approach the bar, but his cocked eyebrows and monocle offered a sense that I could be surprised at any moment by what I find! Sure enough, I stepped up to the bar and met Godia himself. My friends and I ordered what we had come for: his Fuego del Sur, and watched like children as Godia got to work.

With two cocktail shakers, Godia expertly started by filling the bottoms of each with a chipotle paste. Next came a slew of shots of ingredients and squeezes of limes and lots of shaking, all of which happened so fast it was difficult to see exactly what the process was. Just as a magician never reveals his secrets, and neither did the character Lupin, Godia seemed to be safeguarding the recipe to his drink. This only felt fair, considering the aura of the room we were in and the mysteriousness that surrounded it all.

He threw down two glasses, but three ice cubes in each, and poured the cocktail shaker’s mixture into glasses through a strainer. As though ambidextrous, Godia used both hands at all times to makes the drinks completely in sync, even down to dropping an orange slice in each at the same moment. He handed over the drinks from across the bar and, without losing a beat, began to clean his workstation.

My friends and I took our seats in a satin booth, clinked our glasses, and took sips of our ‘Fuegos’. The spice of the chipotle and pepper flavors, paired with the sharp citrus of the lime, kicked my taste buds before they decided that this drink was more than delicious. Taking more tastes of the drink, my friends and I appreciated the moody lighting cast by the lamps that hung from the ceiling, the centerpieces on every table, and the strands of gold that crinkled in a large rectangle cut out from the ceiling. Every detail was attended to, a very French feature that accented the otherwise Spanish flavours of the drink.

Lupin’s atmosphere was both intriguing as well as welcoming, and we decided we could stay awhile and chat. Lupin was the perfect place for a good drink and great conversation, and having Godia there as the star of the show was a special treat. Don’t forget to also follow bartender Diego Godia at @yosoydiegosinmas

Report by Fiona Pacious 

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’