C is for Cocktail

I’m no expert. I don’t have bitters at home or dried fruits, nor proper stemware. Those who know me know that typically I drink straight from the can. But every once in a while I do like to treat myself to a cocktail. Something fancy. And a few weeks ago I was in Colombia for work, and I was ready to be blown away by the food, by just the second night of the trip there was no escaping the obvious: the cocktail scene in Colombia is on fire. So, fearless Trufflepig trip researcher that I am, I pulled up my boot straps, whispered under my breath (“Let’s do this!”) and subsequently threw myself headlong at the problem.

Of course there’s your classics such as a G&T, with every kind of gin under the sun, or recently back in the spotlight a Kir Royal, but what I loved most were the ones made with local fruits and liquors, such as Viche, lovingly referred to as Colombia’s moonshine. Originating from the Pacific Coast and made from sugarcane, considered illegal until recently when it was recognized by Colombia’s senate as part of the country’s cultural and ancestral heritage, bottles were typically sold by the side of the road, but now can now be found on the menus of many cocktail bars. One viche caipirinha coming right up.

Don’t get me started on the unusual vessels they like to serve in down there, or the meticulous placing of an edible flower or even the quick yet skilled spray of a concentrated fruit juice in an old perfume bottle – or the fact a hip spot in Bogota puts photos of their staff on the back of the coasters. You’ll just have to see for yourself in the photos above. Please don’t count the drinks – I know I wasn’t. Enjoy!