At most restaurants, the wine list is designed once and the sommelier applies it to whatever menu arrives. At La Makha the process works the other way around: the drinks in the tasting menu were chosen alongside each dish, as part of the same design. The Basil Smash that opens the experience isn’t an aperitif suggestion — it’s the drink the Corn Cracker needs so that the acidity of the tuna and the richness of the arepa reach the palate clean. The Carajillo that closes it isn’t a protocol digestif — it’s coffee on coffee, because the flan already has coffee and viche canao, and the drink can’t compete with that, only complete it.
That logic runs through the entire drinks program. Here’s a guide to understanding it before you order.
The pairing philosophy at La Makha
The pairing program starts from the same principle as the kitchen: the Colombian ingredient has something to say, and the drink alongside it should listen, not drown it out. A cocktail with Amazonian herbs can work better with a Pacific fish dish than a classic Chardonnay. A local tintillo can hold its own against a Bordeaux if the producer did their job well.
That requires whoever designs the pairings to know the dishes from the inside — not just the ingredients, but the technique, the temperature, the salt level, the fat in the plate. At La Makha, the sommelier works with the kitchen, not after it. The result is a drinks list that reflects the same origin philosophy as the menu: ingredients with a story, technique in service of flavor, nothing arbitrary.
“Here, a local tintillo can pair as well as a Bordeaux, and a cocktail with Amazonian herbs can steal the spotlight from a white wine.” — La Makha · Binnhotel
The tasting menu pairings, course by course
The 7-course tasting menu includes a specific pairing for each step. Here’s how the full sequence works:
| Course | Dish | Pairing | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corn Cracker · Tuna · Arepa · La Guajira salt | Basil Smash | Fresh basil cleanses the palate and primes the acidity for the six courses ahead. |
| 2 | White fish ceviche · Chontaduro · Watermelon · Mandarin lime | Doña Dominga Chardonnay | The Colchagua Valley Chardonnay has the fruity acidity that accompanies the chontaduro leche de tigre without competing with it. |
| 3 | Oyster mushrooms · Corn · Güatila · Goat yogurt | Doña Dominga Sauvignon Blanc | The dry Sauvignon Blanc holds up against the smoke powder and acidity of the pickled güatila without overwhelming the yogurt. |
| 4 | Catch of the day · Rigatoni · Coconut sauce · Purple basil | Tom Collins | Gin with lemon cuts through the fat of the coconut sauce. A white wine would get lost in the creaminess. |
| 5 | Pork belly · Carrot · Anise · Huacatay | Cool Coast Pinot Noir 2022, Chile | The light Pinot Noir from Chile’s cool valleys handles the fat of the pork belly without the weight of a more structured red. |
| 6 | Lamb cappelletti · Paipa cheese · Yogurt · Tomato | Doña Dominga Carmenere | The Colchagua Valley Carmenere has the tannic structure the braised leg needs and the character to match the Paipa cheese. |
| 7 | Flan · Coffee · Viche canao · Bitter orange | Carajillo | Coffee on coffee: the Carajillo doubles the flan’s coffee note and the alcohol cuts through the sweetness of the viche canao. The most Colombian closing on the menu. |
The house cocktails
La Makha’s bar has a signature cocktail menu where every drink uses Colombian ingredients within recognizable cocktail structures. Techniques like clarification, maceration and infusion are applied to local distillates — viche canao, Colombian rum — or international ones, with syrups of corozo, pennyroyal, tamarind and spearmint. The result isn’t exotic cocktails — these are drinks that work equally well as an aperitif or alongside specific dishes.
Esfumado — $38.000
Aged rum, Frangelico and tamarind syrup with orange peel. Clarified for transparency. Colombian tamarind brings a sweet acidity that lime wouldn’t give.
Best with: cold starters · Corn Cracker
Silencio — $38.000
Coconut oil-washed vodka, thyme syrup, mandarin lime and soda. Light and aromatic. The coconut oil leaves a texture no classic vodka has.
Best with: aperitif · before the menu
Sabroso — $45.000
Red wine reduction with red berries, mandarin lime, spearmint syrup and vodka with tonic. Works as an aperitif or with red meat.
Best with: Pork belly · Lamb
Niebla — $60.000
8-year espadín agave mezcal with pennyroyal syrup — an herb from Antioquian gardens — and mandarin lime. The most Colombian cocktail on the menu in a mezcal structure.
Best with: smoked dishes · Octopus
Revelación Rubí — $45.000
Rye bourbon with corozo syrup — a Caribbean palm fruit — and pineapple extract. The corozo does what bitters would do in an Old Fashioned, with tropical acidity.
Best with: pork · poultry
The wine list
La Makha’s cellar covers Spanish, Italian and Latin American references. The selection isn’t extensive — each label was chosen for specific dishes.
Red wines
- Beronia Crianza · Spain · Tempranillo — $262,000
- Beronia Reserva · Spain · Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo — $515,000
- Doña Dominga Carmenere · Chile · Colchagua Valley — $180,000
- Cool Coast Pinot Noir 2022 · Chile
- Marqués de Riscal Reserva · Spain · Tempranillo, Graciano — $538,000
- Viñas del Vero Roble · Spain · Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot — $198,000
- Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon · Chile — $2,465,000
- Angélica Zapata Cabernet F. · Argentina · Uco Valley — $743,000
White wines
- Doña Dominga Chardonnay · Chile · Colchagua Valley — $180,000
- Marqués de Riscal Blanco · Spain · Verdejo, Rueda — $263,000
- Martin Codax · Spain · Albariño, Rías Baixas — $402,000
- Rocca di Montemassi · Italy · Vermentino, Tuscany — $376,000
- Doña Dominga Sauvignon Blanc · Chile · Colchagua Valley — $180,000
Rosé wines
- Barton & Guestier Tourmaline · France · Côtes de Provence · Grenache — $270,000
- Rocca di Montemassi Syrosa · Italy · Maremma Toscana · Syrah — $280,000
- Doña Dominga Rosé · Chile · Colchagua Valley — $180,000
Champagne and sparkling wines
- Prosecco Zonin Brut Cuvée · Italy · Veneto · Glera — $352,000
- Anna Codorníu de Blancs · Spain · Catalonia · Chardonnay, Macabeo — $379,000
- Moët Chandon Brut Imperial · France · Champagne — $911,000
- Veuve Clicquot · France · Champagne Brut — $1,055,000
- Dom Pérignon · France · Champagne — $3,305,000
The sommelier’s perspective: three key pairings
Octopus from La Guajira → Tom Collins
The Tumaco prawn coconut sauce has a creaminess that flattens light white wines. The gin and lemon in a Tom Collins cuts through that fat and lets the purple basil in the dish come through on the finish. An Albariño would be the wine option, but the cocktail wins on contrast.
Lamb from Caldas → Doña Dominga
Carmenere has spiced notes and green pepper that resonate with the lamb bone glaze and San Marzano tomato powder. A more tannic Cabernet would crush the Paipa cheese foam. Carmenere has the structure without the weight.
Chontaduro ceviche → Doña Dominga Chardonnay
The chontaduro leche de tigre has a sweet, fatty acidity that barrel-fermented Chardonnays don’t handle well. Doña Dominga’s unoaked Chardonnay has the fruity freshness to accompany the chontaduro without covering the pickled watermelon or the plantain chips.
Frequently asked questions about pairings at La Makha
Is the pairing included in the tasting menu?
Not by default. The base tasting menu costs $330,000 per person. The pairing option — one specific drink for each of the 7 courses — costs $420,000. The $90,000 difference includes seven drinks curated alongside the kitchen.
Does La Makha have a sommelier?
Yes. The sommelier can guide you on pairings for both the tasting menu and individual dishes from the à la carte menu. The floor team is also trained to suggest pairings between La Makha’s signature cocktails and the origin-driven dishes.
Which wines does La Makha recommend for its dishes?
Doña Dominga Carmenere goes with the lamb. The Chardonnay pairs with the ceviche. Cool Coast Pinot Noir is the pick for pork belly. For seafood dishes, the Sauvignon Blanc and Martin Codax Albariño are the most frequent recommendations.
Does La Makha have non-alcoholic pairing options?
Yes. The menu includes infusions and herbal teas made with Colombian dried herbs, flowers and fruits — from Andean chamomile blends to highland coffee blends. These are a real alternative, not a generic water substitute.
Can I request the wine list when booking?
Yes. When booking through BINN Hotel’s official channels you can request information about the wine list and the pairings available for that service. It’s also possible to request specific pairings from the premium whisky and tequila selection.
Request the wine list when you make your reservation, and arrive with your pairings already planned.
Discover the restaurant on La Makha’s page at Binnhotel. Instagram: @lamakharestaurante
