Quick answer: At Etro Rooftop, author mixology functions as a research discipline: the bartenders — called bar artists — reinterpret Colombian ingredients through contemporary techniques that work aroma, texture and narrative into each cocktail. It is not a standard drinks menu with one house cocktail — it is a concept with its own editorial identity built from the country’s flavors.
Author mixology is not a marketing term. It is the distinction between a bar that serves drinks and one that has a point of view about what it serves. The difference is perceptible from the first contact with the menu — not in the price, but in whether the cocktails have an argument or just have a name.
Medellín developed over the last decade a cocktail scene that goes well beyond aguardiente with lulo juice. There are bars in the city that work with local ferments, Colombian-origin spirits and techniques that require more preparation time than a gin and tonic but produce something that is not forgotten. Etro Rooftop is in that category, and from the 16th floor of Binn Hotel it does so with an additional advantage: the 360-degree view of the Valle de Aburrá is part of the cocktail’s sensory experience.
What author mixology means
Author mixology starts from a principle that the best bartenders share with the best cooks: each ingredient has to have a reason to be in the glass. Not because it combines well with the base spirit, but because it contributes something — an aroma, a texture, a flavor memory — that makes that cocktail impossible to replicate with any other ingredient.
In practice, that means research. The bartender working in author mixology knows the provenance of every product they use — which Colombian region the viche comes from, how the curing process affects the flavor profile, which local fruit has the exact acidity to balance a cocktail that would otherwise be too sweet.
It also means narrative. The best author cocktails tell something — a region of the country, an artisanal process, a season — without the bartender needing to explain it in words. The argument is in the glass.
Etro Rooftop: cultural narrative in each drink
Etro’s mixology program was built around Colombian ingredients with the same principle that defines La Makha’s kitchen: use what the country produces with technique that elevates without distorting.
The ingredients that appear at Etro’s bar are not decorative. Viche canao — an artisanal spirit from the Pacific region, produced by Afro-Colombian communities with centuries of tradition — has a flavor profile that industrial aguardiente cannot replicate. Colombian maracuyá, lulo, soursop and tree tomato have acidity and sweetness different from the same fruits grown at other latitudes. Cold-climate poleo and basil have aromas that do not exist in warm-season versions.
Etro’s bar artists work with those ingredients from a sensory perspective: each cocktail is built to stimulate in sequence — the aroma arrives first, then the entry in the mouth, then the finish. It is not a random construction. It is the result of a development process that tests combinations until finding the ones that produce that effect.
The title “bar artists” is not a label — it describes a role that goes beyond the conventional bartender. These are people who understand the bar as a form of cultural expression, not just a service station.
Colombian ingredients as the core of the concept
Colombia has a biodiversity that most of the world knows only through coffee. The reality is that the country produces a quantity of unique ingredients that international mixology is only beginning to discover.
- Viche canao: artisanal spirit from the Colombian Pacific, produced by Afro-Colombian communities from sugarcane. Curing in local medicinal plants produces a flavor profile combining sweet, herbal and slightly smoky notes. It is the type of ingredient that makes a cocktail unrepeatable outside Colombia.
- Altitude tropical fruits: the Valle de Aburrá has a climate that produces fruits with flavor profiles different from those of coastal zones. Castilla blackberry, tree tomato and uchuva grown on the Antioquian hillsides have more pronounced acidity and more restrained sweetness than their lowland equivalents.
- Cold-climate aromatic herbs: poleo, lemon verbena and mountain thyme grown in the mountains near Medellín have higher concentrations of essential oils than those grown in temperate climates. In mixology, that translates into more intense aromas from a smaller quantity of product.
Related reading: Elevated Colombian mixology: Etro Rooftop’s signature cocktails
How to book at Etro to experience the bar program
To enjoy Etro’s mixology concept in its ideal context, a few practical points are worth knowing.
- Book in advance for weekends. The Friday and Saturday DJ sessions generate higher table demand. Booking two to three days in advance guarantees a table, not just bar seating, on those evenings.
- Ask for a seasonal recommendation. Etro’s menu has variations according to fresh ingredient availability. The bar team can advise on which cocktails are at their best for that particular week — information that does not always appear on the printed menu.
- Pair with sharing gastronomy. Etro’s dishes are designed to complement the bar program. The Colombian oceans gastronomy — with its sea, citrus and moderate heat profiles — complements the cocktails without competing with them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Etro Rooftop have artisanal cocktails in addition to the author cocktails?
The distinction between artisanal and author at Etro is semantic — all cocktails are prepared in the moment, with fresh ingredients and techniques that have nothing industrial about them. What makes them “author” is that they have a narrative concept behind them, not just a technically correct combination.
Is there professional bartender service for private events?
Yes. For private events at Etro, the bar team is part of the service. The bar artists can design a specific cocktail menu for the event — including a signature cocktail for the occasion — in coordination with Binn Hotel’s events team.
Does Etro Rooftop have non-alcoholic options?
Yes. Etro’s offering includes mocktails — non-alcoholic versions of the author cocktails — that maintain the sensory complexity of the concept without the alcoholic component. They use the same fresh Colombian ingredients and the same construction techniques.
Author bar · Colombian ingredients · 16th floor with 360° views
