You can’t talk about agave spirits in Paris without referencing Candelaria. It’s not only a bar that places consistently in the World’s 50 Best Bars and turns out a wide range of craft cocktails, but it was also a forerunner in the Latin American food and drink trends that we are now seeing more of in Paris. In addition to making nice drinks, they also have a knack for building creative teams of very nice people. Like current manager, Ivan Avellaneda. Ivan came to Paris from Bogota, Colombia to pursue a Masters in psychology. Initially, bar work was a personal pastime and part time job. But, like many other lifers before him, he fell in love with it and it became his primary passion and profession. He completed a hospitality management degree and has never looked back. FC: You’ve worked at Candelaria for several years, which is a bar that has been influential and inspirational on the Paris cocktail scene when it comes to tequila and mezcal. What do you enjoy most about working there? IA: Well a lot of things. We are like a family here, we like to have fun, and to make people happy. Every one of [...]