Mixology creative with local ingredients and the social environment
Medellin is not only known as the city of eternal spring; in recent years, it has also established itself as a real creative laboratory for the gastronomy liquid. cocktails copyright has flourished exponentially in bars, restaurants and rooftops that have achieved a perfect alchemy: a reinterpretation of the flavors and the local identity with cutting-edge techniques of mixology international. The result are drinks that transcend the simple drink; they are creations that tell stories, pay tribute to the culture paisa and conquer both locals and visitors.
On this tour, you will explore how Medellin has become an emerging destination for lovers of cocktails, what ingredients and techniques that define this new wave, and what are the scenarios are essential to live this experience: from the intimacy of a bar until the majesty of a rooftop with a view of the mountains.
Medellín and the new wave of cocktail author: a cultural movement
A decade ago, the offer shakers of Medellín is limited to drinks classics, and the ubiquitous beer. Today, the landscape has changed radically. A new generation of bartenders, many of them trained in international schools in cities such as London, Barcelona and New York, have returned to the city with fresh ideas and a clear mission: to reinterpret the identity paisa in a glass. This movement is not a simple fashion, but a cultural manifestation that reflects the confidence and creativity of a city that has reinvented itself.
The current trend in the cocktail bar paisa combines several key elements that make it unique:
- Indigenous ingredients: The main protagonist is the pantry a local. Exotic fruits such as lulo and the uchuva, natural sweeteners such as sugar cane and the cane honey, and products such as specialty coffee are the basis of countless creations.
- Global technical: These ingredients are processed with techniques of high-cocktail-as drenched, infusions, clarified, smoked, and fermented that elevates the flavor and texture.
- Creative presentations: The aesthetics is just as important as the taste. The cocktails are served in glassware handmade, ceramic vessels made by local artists or cups vintage. decor often includes edible flowers, leaves, and of the region or dried fruits.
- Narrative: Every cocktail tells a story. Often, the bartender will explain the inspiration behind the drink, as it can be from a legend antioquia, a tribute to a local artist, until a childhood memory.
Ingredients that define the flavor of Medellin in a cocktail
The wealth of the cocktail bar of the author in Medellín lies in its ability to convert the butler’s pantry in an arsenal of creative. These are some of the ingredients used and their flavor profile:
- Lulo: With their tangy flavor and refreshing, the lulo is the star of many tropical cocktails. Its pulp is used in fresh juices, in reductions in syrups and even dehydrated for decoration. It is a versatile ingredient that brings a unique profile.
- Uchuva: Small and golden, the uchuva has a sweetness balanced with a touch of acid. It is perfect for creating sours or martinis with a twist on a local, providing a flavor that evokes the summer.
- Guava: Used in syrups, purees or jelly, guava provides a profile is sweet and aromatic, with a distinctive floral touch that perfectly complements spirits such as rum or mezcal.
- Specialty coffee: Colombia Remains a country that grows coffee, coffee is an essential ingredient. The bartenders used in a wide range of drinks, from espresso martinis to cold infusions with rum or whiskey, providing a strong character and toasted notes.
- Panela: This natural sweetener cane sugar, non-refined, it adds a depth and a few notes and caramelized that you cannot replicate with white sugar. It is used in cough syrups and to create cocktails, hot or cold with a touch of earthy and sweet.
- Aromatic herbs: in Addition to the mint, and basil, the bartenders paisas use local herbs as the cidrón to create infusions, and syrups, often grown in urban gardens of the same bars.
The bar at the rooftop: two scenarios, the same passion
The experience of the cocktail bar of the author in Medellin lives in two main scenarios, each with its own particular charm:
- Bars intimate and copyright: These spaces, often small and with a bar, the protagonist, is the ideal place for the purists of the cocktail. The attention is personalized and you can chat with the bartender about each ingredient and technique. It is in these places where you can try your creations experimental and discover the flavors out of a letter.
- Rooftops with panoramic view: Located in areas such as Provence, Manila and The Town, these rooftops offer a double show: the quality of the cocktail and the unrivaled view of the mountains and the city. They are the perfect setting for plans afterwork, romantic dates or meetings with friends, especially during the sunset.
Both formats, although different in its atmosphere, they share the same essence: a creative proposal, supplies of the highest quality and meticulous care in every detail of the presentation.
Route of signature cocktails in Medellin: a guide inspirational
For those who want to explore the background to the scene shaker of the city, here is a guide of experiences that can’t be missed:
- The workshop of the bartender: Visit a bar author who works as a laboratory liquid. The letter of these sites often change every season, adapting to the fresh ingredients available. Here you can find a welcome cocktail courtesy, options equally complex with and without alcohol, and the possibility of pairing your drink with a creative tapas.
- Rooftops of Provence: Provence has established itself as the epicenter of sophisticated nightlife. Their rooftops offer cocktail author with an extra: views of the mountains lit by the setting sun and a carefully selected music, from bossa nova to deep house, which accompanies the atmosphere.
- Speakeasies in The Village: For the lovers of the unique, to the speakeasies and bars hidden are the ideal choice. Located behind secret doors, these places offer an experience that begins with the mystery of discovering the place.
- Cocktail bar in restaurants fine dining: Many of the chefs of haute cuisine of Medellín have built-in programs of mixology, interact directly with the menu. Here, the bartender and the chef work together to create harmonies perfect between the dishes and cocktails.
Techniques that elevate the cocktail bar paisa
The creativity not only in the selection of ingredients, but in the transformation techniques:
- Clarified: Are filtered fruit juice to get liquids completely transparent, which gives as a result cocktails silky and surprisingly light.
- Fat-washing: This technique consists to infuse liqueurs with fats such as cocoa butter or coconut oil to give a silky texture and notes of flavor in a unique way.
- Smoked: We present the cocktails under bell glass filled with smoke, often with the aromas of roasted coffee, rosemary or local woods, which adds a component of olfactory experience.
- Fermented homemade: Many bars make their own fermented kombucha, tepache) to use them as bases acidic and effervescent that add complexity and a touch of acidity.
- Foams and aerated: creating light layers with intense flavors, such as foam passion fruit or air coffee, that float on the drink, adding a new dimension to the experience.
The complete sensory experience: not only the taste
A cocktail of author in Medellín not drink, and live. The experience involves all the senses:
- View: From the glassware taken care of down to the vibrant colors and artistic decoration, every cocktail is a work of visual art.
- Smell: The aromas are a fundamental part of the experience, whether it be the herbaceous notes of herbs, hints of citrus fruit or the scent of the smoke smoked.
- Ear: The music in the bars and rooftops is carefully selected to accompany the atmosphere, from the tranquility of a bossa nova beat at sunset to the rhythm of deep house in the night.
- Touch: From the silky texture of a foam to the freshness of an ice hand-carved, the touch is also part of the experience.
- Taste: Finally, the taste, with its perfect balance between sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and umami, is the highlight of the experience.
Sunset vibes: the cocktail is perfect on a rooftop
The moment more magical to enjoy a cocktail in Medellin is the golden hour, when the sun hides behind the mountains and the city begins to light up. For an unforgettable experience, we recommend:
- Get ahead: To the golden hour, the majority of the rooftops are filled, so that the ideal is to arrive 30 minutes before to help choose the best seat.
- Try something fresh: Choose a cocktail with tropical fruit, and bubbles (champagne or soda artisan) for a refreshing twist that celebrates the end of the day.
- Accompany with light tapas: don’t miss the opportunity to pair your cocktail with a creative tapas that not to overrun the taste of the drink, such as ceviches, fresh or local cheeses.
Cocktail sustainable: a commitment to the earth
The global trend towards sustainability has come with force to the mixology paisa. Many bars are adopting practices that reduce its environmental impact:
- The use of local ingredients and seasonal: It prioritizes the use of fruits and herbs grown in the region to reduce the footprint of transportation.
- Reuse of inputs: peels and seeds of the fruit are used to create syrups, liquors or teas, minimizing waste.
- Glassware reusable and disposal of plastics: The majority of the bars has removed the straws and plastic used glassware reusable, high quality.
- Collaboration with small-scale producers: Many institutions work directly with farmers and artisan producers to get their ingredients.
The cocktail bar of the author in Medellin is much more than a beverage; it is a movement that mixes local identity, international technical and a passion for storytelling in each glass. Whether in the bar, an intimate bar, where you can chat with the creator, or on the terrace of a rooftop with views of endless, each drink is an invitation to explore, taste and celebrate the creativity paisa.
So, the next time you’re in the city, you forget to ask for it and dare to discover how a cocktail party can become in the memory more vibrant and meaningful to your visit.
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