The Spanish Bar

If there is a Starbucks in every corner of a major American city, the same can be said about bars in Spanish cities…multiplied by three. Whether you live in a town of a hundred or 3 million, you will find a bar down the street. No need to go far if you’re hungry, thirsty or in dire need of a new pack of cigarettes. Spanish life revolves around the local bar or bars. Without them, life just wouldn’t be the same in this country.

A bar in Spain is so much more than just a place where people drunkenly socialize. A bar can open at the crack of dawn to serve breakfast to early laborers, and close past midnight to entertain locals. A bar has a cigarette vending machine available for both paying and non-paying customers. A bar has gambling machines almost similar to those in a Vegas casino. Most of all, in every bar you will find friends and families spending time together.

Starting with the basics, a bar, of course, would be nothing without drinks. They are in abundance in every bar. As far as alcohol goes, from beer to cocktails to wine, they will most likely have it all. They also have other bottled drinks such as soda or juice, which can be ordered with or without alcohol. Freshly squeezed orange juice is a staple in Spain – and personally, it’s the best in the world. As Valencia is one of the biggest producers of oranges, every bar has an electric juicer. Last but not the least, Spanish bars provide all Spaniards their daily dose of coffee. Whether it’s café solo (simple expresso shot), café con leche (expresso with milk), café cortado (expresso with a dash of milk), or café Americano (diluted expresso in honor of the Americans and probably the least popular), coffee flows like a river in Spain.

Food is very present as well. This can range from simple tapas that the bartenders have set on the counter for the customers to see or bigger dishes chosen from a fixed menu or a daily menu written on a chalkboard. Olives are also quite plentiful, which are harvested from the numerous amounts of olive groves in this country. People eat them with their beer, similar to Americans eating nuts with their beer. These olives are of course very natural. There’s no such thing as pitted olives. In contrast to Americans, the Spaniards will deal with having to get rid of the seed themselves.

And finally, the clients. I have to admit it disturbed me the first time I saw babies and children in a bar. Who would want to bring a child in this smoke filled, alcohol ridden atmosphere, I thought. And then it amazed me to see people in their 60s or 70s still hanging out past 10 PM. At 26, I constantly found myself wanting to go home and sleep at 11…on a Saturday! What’s even more impressive is the fact that it’s rare to see borrachos in the bar. I always wondered, where are the belligerent men who always feel the need to pick a fight when they’re drunk? Or where’s the sloppy wasted girl falling on her ass? Why is there no one making a fool out of themselves???

Then I realized I’m in Spain, a country where life revolves around eating and drinking, everything starts later, and families actually enjoy each other’s company. It’s rare to see Spaniards walking while eating and drinking. People don’t go to McDonald’s or Burger King because they have no time. Spaniards savor every bite and every sip. You’ll see people sit at the bar for hours and leave sober. The point of drinking is not to get drunk, but to enjoy something refreshing while distressing and hanging out.

Since everything starts later in Spain, the later people get tired and get ready for bed. Most will be hanging out past 10 just because they didn’t have dinner until 9. To go to sleep before 12 is almost a crime. Hence the presence of both young and old in bars way past most American’s bed time.

As for the babies and children, it still bothers me some times – mostly because I hate the occasional screaming of toddlers. But in the end, it’s nothing different from bringing your kids to a restaurant. It’s a good way for the families to sit and eat together when neither mom or dad want to cook, or when they want some good adult fun with their friends without having to ditch the kids. With the small number of wasted borrachos and not so shady atmosphere, the Spanish bar is an excellent gathering place for all.