Druida Bar & Drinks

We want to introduce you to another charming establishment, this time in Onda, at Calle Ausias March 45: Druida Bar.

And you will have the pleasure of getting to know it firsthand through the words of its owner, Manu Llorens.

How was Druida Bar & Drinks born?

It was born in 2017 with the unconditional support of my wife, who knew this was my dream, 14 years ago with the purpose of making a difference from other establishments, and today we have become a provincial reference in mixology. All due to my desire for professional growth. After dedicating my entire life to hospitality, I needed to embark on a solid project on my own and thus be able to shape all my ideas.

What is the concept?

Mixology and maximum respect for the liquids inside the bottles on our back bar and their history. You will find a wide variety of all types of spirits from around the world and especially Spanish ones. We place great importance on our spirits and are always rotating our stock to continually offer our customers new products.

What is the environment like?

We are in the city center, on a set of very quiet streets with a long-established neighborhood. We have the Teatro Mónaco just a few meters away, and the town hall and historic quarter less than five minutes away. Onda is a small city at the gates of the Sierra de Espadán, with a great tradition in tiles, ceramics, and agriculture.

How would you define its design?

Modern in style, with great emphasis on our bar. I wanted to have a place where our clientele would feel at home, but without losing the taste for the modern. I found an open-plan space and made a large investment to, first, soundproof the establishment, then install powerful climate control, since summers are very hot in our area, and finally choose distinctive colors to be recognized by. Our bar was also very important, as it is the main attraction of an establishment with our characteristics, which is why we dressed it with an extensive back bar. It is a comfortable bar to work at, thanks to its one-meter width.

Signature cocktail?

Rock and Ron. This cocktail is our pride and joy. It is a drink designed by our team for a local mixology campaign in 2018. It was such a success that we added it to the menu as a tribute to teamwork. Today it is our best-selling drink. It features a base of aged rum, fresh orange juice, Oxefruit passion fruit purée, peach liqueur, almond, and muddled raspberries.

Do you remember your first menu?

Yes! We launched it in 2016 after several years working on mixology as a promotional product to introduce customers to new flavors. When we launched, the years of work promoting mixology helped the menu be very well received.

How many cocktails did it have?

Seven. I remember there were 6 with alcohol and one without. It was a signature menu but with “commercial” flavors. We had a cocktail that sold very well, called Pink Floyd, and to this day it is still requested by many customers. I also remember we made an emerald-colored drink with chocolate flavor, Emerald Rum. It took me a lot of effort to get the flavor right, and then it was the least-sold drink on the menu.

And what is the current menu like?

It has 18. It is our 5th mixology menu. After several years creating more than 100 signature cocktails, in 2020 I felt the need to offer a menu where classic mixology was the protagonist. In this one we have 12 classic drinks and 6 signature cocktails, 3 of them collaborations.

Which two cocktails from the establishment can you recommend?

Rock and Ron and our Margarita.

What must be taken into account when creating a space, the fundamental aspect of the establishment?

Its congregation—the congregation is the clientele. The goal is for this clientele to feel the need to come to mass at least once a week. For them to be good people, to leave their problems outside the door and come to enjoy themselves. Our hashtag is #VolemSorprendreVos, a complete declaration of our intentions.

Any anecdote at Druida that you cannot help but tell?

Two hours before opening we still had the painters’ scaffolding inside the establishment and drying machines for the walls… We thought we wouldn’t make it!

And once the establishment was up and running, we managed to build a great team. When closing time came, we would have our own private raves to make the cleaning, restocking, and preparation for the next day a party moment with the whole team, playing our music and toasting to those days of hard work. Now, with all this COVID situation, this whole ritual has gone down the drain…

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

They trust our signature mixology very much. As I said, Rock and Ron is very well received, but also our Arraps i Caricies, with a base of organic rum, mango and coconut, or our Vaiana made with Oxefruit Pop Corn syrup and presented in a popcorn package.

Once this pandemic passes, how do you see the market?

Perhaps with some small differences, but there is going to be a tremendous resurgence and we must rise to the occasion. Those who succeed have their future assured.

Has the business model, the offering, been reinvented?

Provisionally, obviously. We have created a pandemic mixology service with home delivery cocktails that has been very well received, but we all hope that everything returns to normal.

Druida Bar & Drinks is an establishment where customers, upon entering, discover the only mixology bar in the Plana Baixa region. And they feel fortunate to have the opportunity to order drinks they will not taste anywhere else. They find an establishment that cares about music, that does not follow passing musical trends. And they enjoy a calm and welcoming space. For all these reasons, customers value this establishment and always return, because they always have a reason to do so: to be surprised.