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Tequila, Mi Amor: Stelios Papadopoulos and the Story of Barro Negro’s Mexican Dream

The first steps aren’t always the right ones. Yet even a clumsy beginning — even one that leads astray — can awaken a hunger for knowledge, the kind of fire that becomes the start of a long, consuming love story. That’s how it was for Stelios Papadopoulos and tequila. Today he helms Barro Negro, one of the world’s most respected agave-forward cocktail bars, but his first encounter with the spirit was far from reverent.

How Tequila Captured the Heart of Stelios Papadopoulos

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Stelios Papadopoulos, owner of Barro Negro, Athens

Like many of his generation, he met tequila at a time when drinking culture knew little about it — when it was poured fast and cheap, dismissed more than savoured. He tells the story with a sly smile, the kind of smile that belongs to someone who’s flirted with many spirits, but given his heart to just one. Now the spotlight is squarely on tequila — and Stelios has become one of its clearest voices, thanks to a journey that led him beyond the limits of commercial quality, deep into the heart of the category.

Thirsty for more, he followed his instincts through books, bars, and above all, Mexico — again and again — where he met producers, walked the land, and absorbed a way of life shaped by the agave plant. “It was about understanding the Mexican way of living a noble spirit like tequila,” he says, “one that can express through its flavours an ancestral story of place, process, and time.”

The Birth of Barro Negro in Athens

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Interiors of Barro Negro

In 2019, that passion took form in Barro Negro, an embassy for tequila long before the rest of the world caught on. Back then, agave spirits were a rarity in European cocktail culture — today, they’ve surged in status. “We’re witnessing a real hype right now,” Stelios explains. “Especially in the premium segment, with rare and high-value bottles showing up on bar menus all over the world.” But this, he believes, is just a phase.

“Soon there will be a return to more affordable labels, because prices are becoming unsustainable. The future lies in education — brands will focus more on helping people understand the category deeply, not just sell it as luxury.” That’s exactly what Barro Negro was built for.

Agave-based Mixology

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A twist on Espresso Martini

A glance at the current drink list shows what tequila has become: a versatile protagonist, present across all its styles, blanco, reposado, añejo, whether in signature creations, thoughtful classics, or nuanced hybrids. The goal is always to honour its character, never to overpower it. Because the real challenge today is giving tequila the place it deserves — not as a neutral mixer, but as a spirit with soul. A centerpiece. A structure to build around.

The Vision of Stelios Papadopoulos

With nearly 300 tequila labels behind the bar, Stelios treats each with the same meticulous approach: a sensory deconstruction, unfolding in three phases. Through aroma and taste, he breaks down every tequila into its essential parts — highlighting terroir, production and cooking methods, and the floral notes that tell you who made it. These elements become the blueprint for every cocktail, and a gateway for guests to appreciate tequila on its own. “To mix a spirit this noble,” he says, “you have to build a kind of mental map of its aromatic profile. From there, you can begin to think about a recipe — its ingredients, the tools and techniques it needs. That’s our Mexican way of telling its story. And of debunking the myth that it can’t be made approachable.” If the final destination is conscious, sustainable drinking, then the future of Barro Negro — and of tequila itself — won’t be defined by exclusivity. It will be shaped by time, knowledge, and a deep respect for the land, the people, and the heritage behind every sip.

The article first appeared on Coqtail – for fine drinkers. Order your copy here

Images courtesy Barro Negro