Corozo, poleo, viche canao, tamarind. The bar at La Makha crafts cocktails that could only exist in Colombia.
La Makha’s bar is not a generic hotel bar with international pours. It is not merely the prelude to dinner either. It is a cocktail program built on the same philosophy as the kitchen: Colombian ingredients from verified sources, cutting-edge technique applied to bring out the best in those ingredients, and a narrative that connects each drink to the territory that makes it possible.
The corozo — a palm fruit from the Colombian Caribbean — is not in the Revelación Rubí because it sounds exotic. It is there because it delivers a sweet-tart acidity that does exactly what bitters would do in an Old Fashioned, with a flavor profile no imported bitters can replicate. The poleo from Antioquian gardens is not in the Niebla as decoration — it is there because its intense herbal aroma is the precise counterpoint to the 8-year mezcal in the glass.
That is Colombian mixology with European technique: classic cocktail structures — Old Fashioned, Sour, Smash — executed with ingredients that do not exist outside Colombia.
The philosophy behind La Makha’s bar
Binn Hotel describes La Makha’s liquid program as “high cuisine in liquid form” — a direct extension of the restaurant’s philosophy toward the bar. The cocktails are not protocol aperitifs or courtesy digestifs. They are drinks designed with the same mindset as the dishes: every ingredient has a reason to be there, every technique solves a specific problem, and the result must tell something that could not be told with ingredients from another latitude.
La Makha’s bar also works as an extension of the pairing. The Basil Smash that opens the tasting menu is not an arbitrary suggestion — it was chosen because fresh basil cleanses the palate for the seven courses that follow. The Carajillo that closes is not a conventional digestif either — it doubles the coffee note of the final flan, and the alcohol from the viche canao echoes the viche already present in the dessert. The bar and the kitchen speak the same language.
“At La Makha we specialize in cocktails made with Viche Canao, allowing diners to discover the richness of traditional Colombian spirits in a luxury format.”
— Binn Hotel · Signature cocktails Medellín
The 5 signature cocktails
Esfumado — $38.000: Colombian aged rum with Frangelico, tamarind syrup and orange peel. Clarified to achieve complete visual transparency — a drink that looks like water but carries the aromatic complexity of a high-end digestif. The name comes from that tension between what you see and what you taste.
Ingrediente colombiano: Colombian tamarind has a fruitier, less sharp acidity than the Asian variety. The tamarind syrup provides the counterweight to the rum without the flat sweetness of plain sugar.
Silencio — $38.000: Vodka fat-washed in coconut oil — a technique that infuses the fat into the spirit — with thyme syrup, mandarin lime juice and soda. The fat-washing leaves a slightly silky texture on the palate that plain vodka does not have. The name describes what it offers: a moment of stillness before things begin.
Ingrediente colombiano: The mandarin lime is a Colombian variety with more aroma and less acidity than the tahiti lime. It brings citrus fragrance to the drink without the sharpness that would turn the Silencio into a Sour.
Sabroso — $45.000: Red wine reduction with Colombian red berries, spearmint syrup, mandarin lime, vodka and tonic. The reduction concentrates the wine’s tannins into a small volume — which allows the drink to carry the structure of a red wine without the weight of a full glass. Colombian spearmint, more robust than its European counterpart, provides the green note that balances the fruit.
Ingrediente colombiano: Colombian spearmint grown in eastern Antioquia has more essential oils than the imported variety. The fresh spearmint syrup is most intense in May and June — peak production season in Antioquia.
Niebla — $60.000: Eight-year aged espadín agave mezcal with poleo syrup — an aromatic herb from Antioquian gardens — and mandarin lime. The mezcal brings smokiness and depth; the fresh poleo brings an herbal quality that neither mint nor thyme could provide. No European mezcal cocktail would use poleo because Antioquian poleo does not exist anywhere else. It is the most expensive cocktail on the menu and the most singular.
Ingrediente colombiano: Poleo (Mentha pulegium) grown in Antioquia’s rooftop gardens has denser mentholated notes than European pennyroyal. The poleo syrup is an artisanal preparation that does not appear on any cocktail menu outside Colombia.
Revelación Rubí — $45.000: Rye bourbon with corozo syrup — a palm fruit from the Colombian Caribbean — and Colombian pineapple extract. The corozo has a fruity acidity and deep red color that does exactly what Angostura bitters would do in an Old Fashioned, with a flavor profile no known bitters can imitate. The ruby color that gives the drink its name comes from the corozo, not from any added coloring.
Ingrediente colombiano: Corozo (Bactris guineensis) is a palm fruit from the Colombian Caribbean with fruity acidity, burgundy color and a sweetness no other fruit matches in that profile. The corozo syrup is an artisanal preparation used at La Makha as a functional Colombian bitters.
The Colombian botanicals behind the menu
La Makha’s bar works with a repertoire of Colombian botanicals that function as the bitters, cordials and syrups that in a European bar would be imported. Each one has a specific technical role in the preparations.
| Ingredient | Origin | Technical role |
| Corozo | Colombian Caribbean | Syrup used as bitters · fruity acidity · natural burgundy color |
| Antioquian poleo | Antioquia gardens | Herbal syrup · aromatic counterpoint for smoky spirits |
| Colombian tamarind | Caribbean coast | Soft fruity acidity · sweet-tart syrup · counterweight for aged rums |
| Mandarin lime | Valle del Cauca | Aromatic acidity · citrus fragrance without sharpness · base for light sours |
| Viche canao | Colombian Pacific | Ancestral artisanal spirit · earthy and smoky notes · digestif and closing drink |
| Antioquian spearmint | Eastern Antioquia | Herbal syrup · high essential oil content · base for long drinks and coolers |
| Pacific coconut oil | Colombian Pacific | Fat-washing · silky texture in vodka · base for tropical preparations |
| Colombian pineapple | Valle del Cauca & Santander | Extract · tropical sweetness · fruity counterpoint in bourbons and rums |
The techniques behind the bar
La Makha’s bar uses avant-garde cocktail techniques — the same ones found in the world’s best bars — applied to Colombian ingredients. The result is preparations that in a European format would be impossible to replicate, because the ingredients simply do not exist there.
- Clarification. Removes particles from a liquid to achieve complete transparency without losing flavor. The Esfumado uses clarification to create a visually neutral drink with full aromatic complexity.
- Fat-washing. Infusion of fat into a spirit, followed by freezing to separate the solidified fat. The Silencio uses fat-washing with coconut oil to give the vodka a silky texture.
- Artisanal reduction. Cooking a liquid down to concentrate its flavors into a smaller volume. The Sabroso uses red wine reduction to achieve tannic structure without the weight of a full glass.
- Artisanal syrups. Preparing syrups with fresh botanicals instead of plain sugar. All the syrups on the menu — poleo, corozo, tamarind, spearmint — are made in-house with seasonal ingredients.
- Maceration. Cold infusion of an ingredient in a spirit over days or weeks. This extracts aromas without heat — citrus and herbs retain their fresh notes intact.
- Technical Carajillo. La Makha’s Carajillo uses Colombian specialty coffee with a secret balance of sweet and spiced notes, served with a silky texture. It is not coffee with liqueur — it is the signature closing drink of the tasting menu.
BINN Hotel, La Makha, and ETRO Rooftop: three distinct options
Binn Hotel has two cocktail spaces — La Makha’s bar and the ETRO rooftop one floor above. These are not the same proposal in different locations. They are two distinct philosophies serving different moments of the night.
La Makha · In-house Bar: Cocktails designed to pair with the dishes on the menu. Traditional Colombian ingredients: viche canao, corozo, and poleo. Cutting-edge techniques applied to local flavors. An intimate and quiet atmosphere. The perfect moment: an aperitif before dinner, a drink to accompany your meal, or a digestif to round out the evening.
ETRO Rooftop · Rooftop A signature cocktail bar with a 360° panoramic view of Medellín. Local fruits, aguapanela, guava, lulo. A lively, social cocktail bar. A dynamic atmosphere, lounge music, and the energy of a nighttime rooftop. The perfect moment: cocktails at sunset, celebratory toasts, and a nightcap after dinner at La Makha.
The natural sequence for a full evening at Binn Hotel: aperitif at La Makha’s bar, tasting menu with pairing, then up to ETRO for a final cocktail with the illuminated city as the backdrop.
Frequently asked questions about La Makha’s cocktails
Does La Makha have its own cocktail bar?
Yes. La Makha has a signature cocktail bar independent from the ETRO rooftop. The 5 cocktails on the menu — Esfumado, Silencio, Sabroso, Niebla and Revelación Rubí — are designed to pair with the restaurant’s menu and use Colombian ingredients from verified sources.
What is viche canao and where does it appear on La Makha’s menu?
Viche canao is an ancestral artisanal spirit produced by Afro-Colombian communities of the Colombian Pacific. At La Makha it appears in the coconut flan of the tasting menu and as an ingredient in the closing Carajillo. It is also available directly at the bar as a signature spirit.
What is the most representative cocktail at La Makha?
The Revelación Rubí is probably the most representative cocktail of the bar’s philosophy: rye bourbon with corozo syrup — a palm fruit from the Colombian Caribbean that functions as an artisanal bitters — and pineapple extract. The ruby color comes from the corozo, not from any added coloring. It is a Colombian Old Fashioned in structure and Colombian in flavor.
Do La Makha’s cocktails include non-alcoholic options?
Yes. The menu includes the Intrigo — a mocktail with spearmint, mandarin lime juice, spices and soda — which maintains the aromatic complexity of the cocktails without any spirit. La Makha’s bar can also adapt preparations for guests who do not consume alcohol.
What is the difference between La Makha’s cocktails and ETRO Rooftop’s?
La Makha has a bar designed to pair with the menu: more precise cocktails, more avant-garde techniques, intimate atmosphere. ETRO Rooftop is a more social proposal with a 360° panoramic view of Medellín, a more festive and dynamic cocktail program. They are two complementary proposals for a complete evening at Binn Hotel.
The bar awaits. Reserve your table and include the wine pairing in the experience.
Discover the restaurant on La Makha’s page at BINN Hotel. Instagram: @lamakharestaurante
