Liverpool Pub

Located in the center of Albacete, specifically in Plaza de Villacerrada, at the top, and overlooking the Posada del Rosario, the oldest building in Castilla La Mancha, which appears in Don Quixote and where they say the ingenious hidalgo stayed, you will find the Liverpool Pub.

It opened its doors in 2013 as a unique establishment in Albacete, an early-hours venue, comfortable, quiet, and tastefully decorated, where you can listen to music from the 70s and 80s. It evokes classic English pubs, but with a modern and contemporary touch, with sofas, low tables, a fireplace, and an extensive bar. All service is provided at the table, and you can find a very wide range of spirits and liqueurs to choose from for your mixed drinks, as well as a carefully curated selection of classic and signature cocktails, including the 2018 Spanish Champion gin and tonic.

Let’s get to know Liverpool Pub better firsthand thanks to its bartender, Antonio Jesús Molina:

What inspired you to create it?

My love for the profession, which my family has always been dedicated to. Despite having studied and trained for another profession, I’ve always had the hospitality bug.

Do you remember its first menu? How many cocktails did it have? And the current one?

It was all classic cocktails, it had about 10 or 12 cocktails. They were more alcoholic and stronger cocktails that people aren’t used to. We realized this right away and started giving the classics a twist and adding our own creations. Currently, signature drinks predominate, and we have almost 40 cocktails in total.

Which two cocktails from the establishment would you recommend?

Victory, a tribute to Churchill, and our Velice, smoked with rosemary.

What should be taken into account when creating a space, the fundamentals of the establishment?

Good service, the best quality, and a very well-maintained environment. Music volume not too high, spaciousness, separation between tables, good lighting, etc.

Any anecdote you can’t help but share?

I couldn’t choose just one. For me, customer satisfaction is the best thing that can happen to us. When they leave you a good review online or give you their feedback personally and return again and again, that’s the best. I also find it very satisfying when industry reference figures visit your establishment, and they come to see you and get to know your place, which means they know you or have heard about you, and that will be because you’re doing something right, won’t it? (Smiles).

What cocktails do people who come to the establishment like to drink?

The classics we all know always triumph, especially Piña Colada, Margarita, and Mojitos, but we have signature cocktails that, due to their flavor, decoration, and presentation, are increasingly in demand.

When the pandemic passes, how do you see the market?

It will take a long time for people to get used to the old habits, of crowds, capacity limits, use of the bar, etc. But I believe that in some way this has been a filter so that establishments with a certain track record and reputation remain open over time, although unfortunately iconic establishments have also disappeared, which is a shame.

Has the business model, the offering, been reinvented?

Yes, now people wait to be served, they’ve gotten used to digital menus, to everything being individual, etc. Now the customer is also more specialized, they want quality products, they want to know the brands you use in the drinks, they want to explore new flavors, and they want to know information like calories, allergens, or alcohol content. Now the bartender, apart from serving, has to recommend and be a prescriber, be very well-trained and very well-prepared.

A pub with great charm that you cannot miss if you visit Albacete.