Costa Brava Guide

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  Cocktail Rambo. Photo Source: Hotel Llafranc/Cocktail Rambo

Every summer, on the second saturday of August the nightlife of Llafranc (Costa Brava) vibrates to the Cocktail Rambo. A fantastic live spectacle of fantasy, fun and fiesta. It all began in 1986, when a group of friends led by Josep Peiró, "el Tit” who regularly took part in decorating floats for the local fiestas decided to theme their latest effort around the figure of “Rambo”. The float was such a success at that year’s Spring Fiesta that from then on Carles Bisbe, who’d played the Silvester Stallone character became known as “El Rambo of Llafranch”.

Carles is a party animal and together with a loose set of friends his characterization of Rambo soon became the centre point for a series of improvised parties on the terrace of the Hotel Llafranch, where “Rambo” specialized in making some very explosive cocktails indeed for a growing group of regular customers. Following on from the tradition of his uncle Manel Bisbe – “el Gitano”, whose parties had made the Hotel famous in the 1970s, Carles, with his wild antics, was soon the centre of the Llafranch nightlife – hotel owner by day and Rambo by night!

The first improvised cocktail parties served to refresh the sun baked summer tourists as they came off the beach at Llafranch, or to give some refreshment in the hot stuffy summer nights. All it needed was a few friends ready to party and once the evening meal service was done and dusted, Carles would put on his Rambo disguise and with the help of his staff turn the hotel terrace into a spectacular cocktail show.

From up on stage, Carles would start uncorking the cava with his machete and pour them into a gigantic bowl. Naturally enough the occasional cava bottle exploded out onto the audience who were cheering and egging him on below adding to the party atmosphere Rambo always created. The last few bottles were sprayed over the revelers as they cheered on their hero – “Rambo, Rambo Rambo!” All the ingredients were in the bowl and Llafranch’s Rambo machete flew from his hand and stuck deep into the table as a signal that the job was done – the cocktail was ready to be served!

As the improvised party became bigger and bigger and ever more popular, it began to spill out onto the road, cutting the traffic on the road in front as the hotel terrace proved just too small to handle what was fast becoming the highpoint of the summer in the small resort. It was clear that the party must go on, but it would have to find a bigger scenario. This was no longer a little cocktail bash thrown for a few friends: now it was a fixed party held in the middle of every August. Every year something new was added to the show and every summer it was becoming harder to surprise the revelers with a bigger and better spectacle.

As spring comes round, our friend who keeps the flame of the party life in Llafranch burning bright every summer, starts planning his next show. Every year he looks to make the fun even better, the show even bigger and for the summer visitors to the lovely.

Hotel Llafranc
Passeig Cipsela, 16
Llafranc, Costa Brava
Tel: +34 972 300 208
http://cocktailrambo.com/