Bartenders

Samuel "The King" Díaz

Modern tradition from the Andes to Barcelona.

Samuel Díaz, also known as “The King” for his royal appearance and noble blood that flows through his veins, is part of a new class of bartenders. His background and training actually took place in the kitchen, but he then decided to jump behind the bar as soon as he discovered his authentic passion: cocktails. Born in Peru, he adds a touch of Nikkei to mixology. In Trujillo, his native town, Samuel explored the world of distilled spirits and ancestral concoctions and discovered secrets that only the indigenous tribes from those faraway lands had access to. He arrived at Slow almost by chance and immediately received Fran Mekk’s support, who recognised his exceptional skillset. He became Mr. Mekk’s pupil, and certainly didn’t give up that great opportunity of learning all the new and fascinating techniques, movements and theories. He’s constantly evolving and has now become a master of workshops, tastings, seminars and masterclasses. Like most latinos, he’s a huge fan of New York Style salsa, so all he’s listening to all day are Héctor Lavoe, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto or Fania All-Stars. He knows everything there is to know about the art of barbecues, and his vertiginous shaking style will make you tremble with desire to try one of his creations here at Slow. Keep your eyes open for him!

Diego "Sweety" Latina

The power of sweet seduction with a cocktail shaker.

Diego Latina, alias “Sweety”, is our third entry, as well as the youngest member of Slow’s Dream Team. Why “Sweety”? This pseudonym refers to the power of seduction that he radiates whenever he stands behind the counter holding a cocktail shaker in his hands. When he first started, he was an experienced barman with an interesting work background in countries such as the UK and Italy, as well as in our Marbella. He was recruited by the visionary Fran Mekk to complete Slow’s magic circle. He is also a skilled Flair artist, which consists in the art of juggling bottles and bartender tools, and skillfully runs Boîte’s bar after parking his skateboard (his other passion). Fast, elegantly and in style: this is how Diego perfectly manages a wide variety of techniques. A great mixologist who’s also in charge of Slow’s workshops, that have all been very successful. There is no mixology magic trick that he can’t pull off behind the counter, where he surprises his audience with his pouring skills and state-of-the-art molecular cocktails. If you haven’t met him yet, drop by Slow and come admire his signature move: Double Shaking, with a shaker in each hand!

Fran "Mekk" Ibars

A new cocktail concept born out of passion.

Fran Ibars, also known as Fran “Mekk”, has established himself as the enfant terrible of the world of cocktails in Barcelona. His pseudonym was born while playing mysterious Magic games. His previous life is unknown to us, since he prefers keeping it a secret, yet we do know that it has something to do with the auction of his Black Lotus, which happened right in the middle of a game. He entered the Slow universe thanks to our master, the renowned Francesc Bretau, or Paco, who has recently decided to retire from Slow’s bar. As expected, he certainly did not leave us empty handed, since he recruited one of the most brilliant emerging talents in the national mixology scene. Therefore, thanks to our great master it is an honour and a pleasure for us to introduce Fran Mekk. Paco nurtured his growth, and today Fran is definitely a big name in the world of mixology with a great international reach.

Fran had just returned from an experience in London working at BE AT ONE and was a customer at Slow. It wasn’t long before Paco noticed this young man and soon decided to invite him into Slow’s delightful universe. Fran quickly became Paco’s beloved and best pupil and discovered everything there was to know: his secrets, his mindset, the ins and the outs of Slow, the art of contrast and provocation, his manners, as well as all the master’s secret techniques. Now Fran blends his own special touch of magic with Paco’s secrets, coming back to life as the incredible bartender that he truly is, leading Slow’s spaceship and firmly driving it towards new faraway galaxies and dimensions.

His greatest passion is creation, which is why he spends his time amongst bottles, herbs, fruit and diabolical machines, putting his virtue to work and pouring pure gold into your glass. Fran is undoubtedly a talented cocktail artist who can work pure magic. He enjoys listening to Sex Pistol’s punk, rap from the West Coast and Afrika Bambaataa’s electronic hip-hop. Rebellious by nature, he radiates dedication and professionalism with every step he takes behind Slow’s bar counter. His personality shines through his work and the way he interacts with his customers, who each week make a pilgrimage to this altar to bless their palate with his delightful and breath-taking cocktails. In June 2019 he reached excellence by making the podium at the Beluga Spain finals in Madrid. CONGRATULATIONS, FRAN!

The Bartenders

Samuel "The King" Díaz

Diego "Sweety" Latina

Fran "Mekk" Ibars

Opening time

@slow_barcelona