RSS FeedA smart event, but with bottled Agua de Valencia?
I enjoyed last night’s “Fiesta de la revista del Open de Tenis y Tendencias: la moda en la pista”, celebrating the Valencia Open tennis tournament that starts in Santiago Calatrava’s brand new (well, just about ready in time) Agora arena this Saturday. Plenty of smart and beautiful tennis and fashion people delighted to see each other.
It was a slight surprise in this environment that the introductory drink should be bottled “Agua de Valencia“, a product that in one fell swoop tarnishes two of Valencia’s finest offerings – oranges and Cava.
It seems hard to imagine that a smart event in Madrid or Seville would kick off with bottled sangr√≠a (which Valsangiacomo also market, as it happens). I know that this confection has been acquired by one of the evening’s sponsors, Bodegas Cherubino Valsangiacomo, and good luck to them, but surely there is a time and a place.
I have nothing against a freshly-made Agua de Valencia, which legend has it was created in the Cervecer√≠a Madrid in 1959 by the late artist-barman Constante Gil Hernández. A standard recipe is half a litre of cava -semi-seco is fine – half a litre of orange juice (freshly squeezed); 60 centilitres of gin, 60 cl. of Cointreau and another 60 cl. of vodka; two tablespoonfuls of sugar; ice and orange slices as garnish. Jolly enough, and with a deceptive kick, but not a particular favourite of mine. However, the bottled version — concocted and marketed in the mid-90s and primarily a tourist souvenir sold at grotesque price at Valencia airport — is a long way from being something that you would allow into your home. I hope its acquisition by the mighty Cherubino Valsangiacomo operation doesn’t see me come across it too often.
