BARCELONA — In The Boy and the Heron, by Hayao Miyazaki, a cunning and unsuspecting heron convinces a stubborn boy to cross a portal and enter a world that is part fantastic, part sinister, in pursuit of something he desires greatly.
It is a dynamic that resembles some gastronomic experiences.
Definitely not the fault of the professionals who conceive and execute complex sensory experiences, sometimes transformative — but because there are many dishonest herons out there. And the boy, eager to experience something unique, tends to seek intention, novelty, narrative in anything (at any cost).
You have to cross the main hall, which operates with very little lighting, to find the portal. A long and suffocating corridor curtained with thin strips of semi-translucent PVC.
As your eyes adjust to the cold light of the room, you find yourself in a second hall surrounded by the same curtains and symmetrical sides, each with a counter for the 10 stages of the menu and six tasting stations. There are two service shifts: at 7 pm and 9 pm. (You leave there to have dinner elsewhere afterwards.)
Dozens of silver lamps fall from the ceiling painted with blue and white watercolors — long, thin, cylindrical — forming small yellowish light spots on the counters. The place plays tranquil and indiscriminate music, like “Lo-Fi for studying.”
First comes the unnecessary ‘menu’. A 3D printer-made plastic piece that mimics a sea sponge (following the maritime theme of the room). By looking through one of the cavities, you can read a few words that together do not form a sentence.
And then it begins. The experience, called Esencia, is divided into five themes and presented as a journey: Tokyo, snowy forest, Jerez, folate and theobromine (a cardiac stimulant).
The first of the 10 drinks is sake with white Port, accompanied by a melon with miso snack that must be swallowed in one go. It clears the airways, refreshes, and makes you trust the process.
Next, Sips offers a reinterpretation of the traditional highball — usually made with whisky and ginger ale or any citrus soda. Here, it is made with smoky whisky and calamansi soda (a Southeast Asian citrus fruit). It smokes the mouth, doesn’t burn the throat, and gets you in the groove. You officially get into the mood.
From there on, it’s a fantasy.
From the icy forest comes an ice ball skewered with melon-covered leaves. Lick the leaves, and the bartender pours into the same vessel a drink made with wine, moss liqueurs, and resin that is like licking a tree – if licking a tree was enjoyable.
The next extremely woody and greasy drink is a fusion of three varieties of Jerez (palo cortado, oloroso, and amontillado) paired with hazelnut paste and oil and Maldon salt flakes.
The real olive oil appears later in drops — in the spicy bloody mary with carrot and sea urchin.
At this point, the palate demands some sweetness – and the request is fulfilled with a dessert drink that includes sour cherry juice, cherry liqueurs, herbs, cocoa nibs, pink pepper, and almond milk. Everything a cherry candy dreamed of being one day.
To finish, one last trick. A supposed sweet in the shape of a tomato with cocoa butter shell and hazelnut paste filling. Solid filling, right? No: orange juice.
Don’t expect a huge hangover, although as you pass through the curtains on the way back, life already seems lighter.
Even without chewing anything, the sensation left is one of complete satiety. Perhaps a statement about the undeniable ingenuity of Sips’ drinks. (If you go there after reading this text, ask the heron.)
Sips was founded just three years ago by Marc Álvarez, a Spaniard who led the bars of the elBarri group for eight years; elBarri, which closed after the pandemic, was a project by Albert Adrià, brother of the celebrated chef of elBulli.
The other founder of Sips is Simone Caporale, the Italian who led Artesian at The Langham in London to the title of the world’s best bar for four consecutive years.
The experience is served for groups of up to 4 people, costs 75 euros per person, and operates from Thursday to Saturday.
Now in October, they have created an extended version, with 15 phases – but I don’t take responsibility if it leads to a hangover.
Source
Arwen Volkov, A graduate of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in International Finance, Arwen specializes in sustainable finance and green investments. She began her career at an investment bank in London, where she developed financing models for environmentally friendly projects. Known for her analytical and strategic thinking skills, Arwen is a sought-after financial consultant. In her spare time, she mentors fintech startups, contributing to their growth strategies. She is also a nature enthusiast and an amateur photographer.
