Quick answer: May sunset sessions at Etro Rooftop combine the best sunset of the year in Medellín (post-rain light over the western Antioquian mountains between 5:30 and 6:30 pm) with Friday and Saturday DJ sessions, signature cocktails with seasonal Colombian ingredients and sharing plates. The peak light intensity window is between 5:30 and 6:30 pm when the May sun produces the most saturated color sequence of the year from the 16th floor of Binn Hotel.
The term “sunset session” is used too freely in the entertainment industry to describe anything that happens at dusk. At Etro Rooftop in May it has a concrete meaning: the combination of the most intense sunset of the year in Medellín with a space that allows living it in its entirety without obstructions, with music that accompanies without dominating and with cocktails that share the same seasonal ingredients as the landscape surrounding them.
Why may has Medellín’s best golden hour
The golden hour in photography and in visual experience is defined as the period after sunrise and before sunset where sunlight is low, warm and raking. In the sunset context, it is the period of approximately 30 to 45 minutes before the sun disappears behind the horizon.
In Medellín, that period varies in quality according to the state of the valley air. The drier months have a golden hour but with air more loaded with dust and particles that reduces color saturation. May has the afternoon rains that clean that air regularly, producing a golden hour with the maximum color saturation of the year: the May sun over the intense post-rain mountain green generates the most intense sequence of oranges, pinks and purples in the calendar.
From the 16th floor of Binn Hotel, that phenomenon unfolds across the full horizon without interruptions. The entire valley, from the eastern mountains to the western ones, is the stage for May’s golden hour at Etro Rooftop.
The sunset session music
Etro Rooftop’s Friday and Saturday DJ sessions feature lounge and deep house sets designed specifically for the rooftop’s atmosphere during the sunset hours. The volume is calibrated so the music is perceptible and creates an atmosphere without competing with conversation or the panorama.
The track selection in May’s sunset sessions has a specific profile for the sunset moment: slow rhythms with depth that produce the sensation that time slows down together with the light that changes gradually. It is not the deep house of the late night hours: it is the sunset version of the same genre, where the music has the rhythm of the descending sun.
For Mother’s Day falling on a Sunday, Etro’s public holiday schedule does not have a DJ session with the same programming as Friday and Saturday, but the space’s musical programming maintains the appropriate atmosphere for the celebration.
The sunset session cocktails: why some work better at dusk
Not all of Etro Rooftop’s menu cocktails have the same profile for the sunset moment. The selection of what to drink during May’s sunset sessions has a pairing logic between the moment’s sensory state and the drink’s profile.
The Revelación Rubí ($45,000 COP) is the sunset cocktail by design. The bourbon with rye notes has a warm profile that connects with the warmth of the sunset light. The corozo syrup, with its tropical sweetness, reflects the wellbeing atmosphere the body has at that time of the afternoon. The pineapple extract adds the tropical note that May in Medellín has in its seasonal vegetation.
The Sabroso ($45,000 COP) with red wine reduction and spearmint syrup has the depth appropriate for the day’s last light without being so intense as to anticipate the night cocktails’ profile. Fresh spearmint also has an aroma that connects directly with the open-air rooftop atmosphere in May.
For groups who want to start the sunset with sparkling wine, the Prosecco Zonin Brut Cuvée ($352,000 COP) has the right lightness for the sunset time slot. The bubbles and freshness of the Prosecco work well with the energy of the first warm lights before the sun disappears.
The sunset session gastronomy
The plates for May’s sunset session at Etro have a specific selection that works well for the sunset time slot. They are not the late aperitif plates nor those of a full dinner: they are the in-between hour plates where the group wants something at the center without it being a formal dinner.
The Sweet Potato and Short Rib Croquettes ($49,000 COP) with uchuva chili and seasonal mushroom aioli are the sunset session plate par excellence: finger food format, the right size to share without compromising appetite for the evening, interesting enough in flavor to generate comment.
The Roasted Cauliflower ($43,000 COP) sous vide in hazelnut butter with pumpkin purée and fennel yogurt is the highest-level vegetable plate on the menu and the one that best reflects Etro’s contemporary cooking concept: French technique (sous vide) applied to a Colombian ingredient with accompaniments at the same level of precision as the protein plates.
The Pork Belly Ceviche ($60,000 COP) with crispy pancetta, cilantro and lime emulsion and chalaca is the most suitable medium plate for the sunset session: the crunch of the pancetta, the acidity of the cilantro emulsion and the freshness of the chalaca produce a flavor set that connects with the sunset energy better than the denser-flavored plates.
The article on sunsets and the best light from Etro Rooftop has the complete detail of when is the best time to be on the 16th floor according to the time of year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to arrive for the May sunset sessions at Etro Rooftop?
Between 5:00 and 5:30 pm to capture the full sunset. Arriving at 6:00 pm or later, the group may miss the first 30 to 45 minutes of the golden hour, which are the ones of greatest light intensity.
Do the May sunset sessions at Etro have an entry fee?
No. Etro Rooftop has no entry fee. The cost of the experience is the cocktails and food from the menu. Gratuity is voluntary and 10% is suggested.
Does the music at the May sunset sessions interfere with conversation?
No. The music level at Etro Rooftop is calibrated so that normal-volume conversation is possible at all times. The volume increases gradually toward the later night hours, but during the sunset sessions the music is ambient.
