Porta Mingot, Ramón “Raymond” (1905–1974) was a Spanish bartender, born January 27, 1905. He lived in France, the United States, Chile, and many other countries. In the 1930s, Porta Mingot resided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he became a prominent bartender at the illustrious Copper Kettle. With support from the bar’s owners, in 1936 Porta Mingot published his book Gran manual de Cocktails. This celebrated book contained over 1,200 recipes that showcased the breadth and creativity of Argentine mixology. It was published in Buenos Aires, a city that opened up many bartending opportunities for Porta Mingot and fed his deep passion for soccer. His fondness for the sport was so strong that he dedicated several cocktails recipes to the most popular teams in the country. He received his membership to the AMBA (Asociación Mutual de Barmen y Afines de la República Argentina)—the only association for bartenders in the country—in March 1942. One of his most notable cocktails was El Diamante (“The Diamond”): 1/3 scotch whisky, 1/3 dry sherry, 1/3 Dubonnet rouge, and 1 dash of Angostura bitters, shaken and served in a cocktail glass. It is also widely claimed that Porta Mingot was the inventor of the world famous Piña Colada at the restaurant Barrachina in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1963, although this is unlikely. See Piña Colada. Nonetheless, Porta Mingot was a renowned barman and a talented mixologist who shared his knowledge, skills, and art with the world. Although a naturalized American citizen, Ramón Porta Mingot had recently moved back to Buenos Aires when he died.
Porta Mingot, Raymond. Gran manual de Cocktails. Buenos Aires: n.p., 1936.
By: Ariel Lombán