A Quick Look at Colombian Cocktails

TLDR? Short on time? People love coming back to Colombia because of its cocktails and their many unique flavor combinations. 

It’s no surprise that tourists love visiting Colombia. It offers beautiful tourist attractions, delicious cuisines, and unique cultural traditions. 

Aside from these, do you know that Colombia also has some of the world’s best-tasting cocktails out there? This country guarantees perfect flavor combinations that will make you want to refill your glass for a second round. 

Colombian cocktails will excite your taste buds in ways you will never expect. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the most famous options to try. 

So, prepare for the fusion of flavors, and let’s get started. 

Colombia

Yes, you read that right. A famous Colombian drink took the name of the country itself. It’s a patriotic cocktail with a combination of the following ingredients:

• Grenadine syrup
• Vodka
• Orange juice
• Lemon juice
• Blue Curacao 

To prepare this strong drink, mix both fruit juices and vodka together, then strain the mixture into a glass. 

The following ingredients to be poured are curacao and grenadine syrup. Remember to pour them slowly, so they sink to the bottom part of the glass. 

You’ll know you did it right when the cocktail has striking color combinations of red, blue, and yellow. Yes, these colors match the Colombian flag. Interesting, right?

Refajo

If you want a refreshing yet bittersweet Colombian cocktail, Refajo is the one. It combines the following ingredients:

• Pale lager
• Colombian soda
• Aguardiente 

Experts mix these ingredients in a chilled container or pitcher without stirring. When you get this from the bar, Refajo is always served over ice. To top it off, the drink is garnished with orange wedges and lime. 

Refajo is the perfect drink to pair with barbecues in Colombia. It’s a refreshing drink that cleanses your palate after eating grilled corn, steak, and potatoes. 

Canelazo

Yes, spicy alcoholic beverages are commonplace in Colombia. If you’re into those types of drinks, you’ll enjoy Canelazo. 

This Colombian cocktail has different versions depending on the country, it has a varied taste in Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina- but the main ingredients are all the same:

• Cinnamon water or hot water with cinnamon sticks
• Unrefined cane sugar or Panela 

After mixing these two ingredients, the drink becomes even more enhanced after adding aguardiente. It’s of South American origin, and it tastes like brandy, but in reality, aguardiente is a liquor made from sugar cane. 

For additional flavors, some bartenders love adding fruit juices or swap aguardiente with rum. You can also totally omit the alcoholic part, and your canelazo will still taste great. 

Bogota Cosmopolitan

Bogota Cosmopolitan is a famous Colombian holiday cocktail. It’s like a classic martini, but with a twist! 

This holiday cocktail has the perfect balance of sweet and sour and tastes tangy and refreshing. You’ll love it even more because Bogota Cosmopolitan is pretty easy to make on your own! 

You’ll need to have all these ingredients:

• Fresh lime juice
• Dark rum (we recommend Colombia Parce Rum for the best taste)
• Simple syrup

Get your shaker and simply add all the ingredients, fill it with ice, shake well and strain the drink into a chilled glass. 

To complete the experience, garnish your drink by adding a slice of lime to the rim of your glass.

Cartagena Coquito

When you give the famous eggnog everyone loves to drink on Christmas a Caribbean twist, it becomes a Cartagena Coquito. This holiday cocktail has a rich and spiced flavor which Latin Americans love. 

Host a winter soiree, and serve this drink to satisfy thirsty crowds. As long as you have all the essential ingredients, Cartagena Coquito is easy to make:

• Sweetened condensed milk
• Coconut milk
• Dark rum
• Cinnamon sticks

Start by mixing all the ingredients (excluding the rum) in a saucepan. Heat over medium flame. When it starts to simmer, remove it from the flame and add the rum. 

Transfer the drink into a glass, and when you serve, don’t forget to serve over ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Medellín Manzana

If you love apple cider, you’ll love this classic holiday cocktail. It’s a spicedw-up drink featuring aguardiente as the star of the show. Medellín Manzana is an excellent alternative to the famous Colombian rum. 

You need the following ingredients to make this drink:

• Apple and orange
• Whole cloves
• Apple cider
• Light brown sugar
• Allspice
• Grated nutmeg
• Dark rum
• Cinnamon sticks

The first step is studding the apple with cloves. Then mix all the ingredients, except the rum, in a pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low flame. 

After about ten minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Add the rum and remove the studded apple. Pour into mugs. And for the final step, garnish with cinnamon sticks. 

Orillero Tango

Orillero Tango gives aguardiente a unique twist. It’s a full-bodied Colombian cocktail with fruity hints. You can make this cocktail drink in minutes and satisfy your thirsty cravings. 

So, the ingredients for Orillero Tango are the following:

• Aguardiente
• Apple juice
• Bitter rhubarb
• Ice

You only need to mix all the ingredients, and you’re good! Most locals love Orillero Tango because it’s easy to make. Plus, you’ll love the perfect balance of the bitter rhubarb and the sweetness of the apple juice. 

A secret tip: always add the alcohol first. This allows all the other ingredients to blend beautifully with the aguardiente. You’ll be able to taste the flavors of each component. We swear; they will burst in your mouth! 

Aguardiente Sour

It’s not a secret that Aguardiente is one of the most traditional drinks in Colombia. If you want to give a soft and elegant touch to its flavor, then try this blend:

• Aguardiente
• Lemon juice
• Gum syrup
• Egg white

Pour all ingredients in a shaker with ice, mix, then strain it, finally you can serve it in a small cocktail glass, don’t forget to garnish with a slice of lemon, which gives a small touch of bitterness and a pleasant look to the drink.

Preferred by dancefloor lovers who need an energy punch, the Aguardiente sour is something you’ll see at many family parties and gatherings.

This cocktail promises a great flavor that will leave you wanting to repeat, it’s also very simple to make and doesn’t require more effort, except for the gum syrup, you get all the ingredients in a supermarket.

Colombian Gin & Tonic

Although the classic Gin & Tonic isn’t native to Colombia, however, that doesn’t mean that there is no Colombian version of the drink. This is one of the easiest cocktails to prepare from the list, as you only need the type of gin you like and a fruit.

To make this cocktail, you need the following ingredients:

• Gin
• Tonic water
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon slices

First, mix the tonic water with the gin in a glass with lots of ice and add the lemon juice, then garnish with lemon slices.

The striking thing about this drink is that you can replace the lemon juice with any typical Colombian fruit that you like, either acidic or sweet- the cocktail goes well with any combination. Some of the recommendations to accompany gin and tonic are maracuyá or passionfruit, cucumber, corozo, lulo, granadilla, uchuva, and pitahaya.

Yapa’ya

Colombian mixology has gained popularity in recent years, so many specialized craft bars have decided to take advantage of the great diversity of fruits and vegetables in the country to create exotic combinations that have the power to give you a real taste of Colombia.

Yapa’ya is a fruity cocktail that combines the acidity of passion fruit with mild-flavored drinks like vodka and rum, let’s see how it is prepared:

• Rum
• Vodka 
• Maracuyá or passionfruit
• Granadina syrup
• Ginger
• Carambolo

You only have to mix the main ingredients, just keep in mind that passion fruit has a quite acidic flavor, so add gradually depending on your taste.

The carambolo is a tropical fruit of strange appearance and sweet taste, its slices have a beautiful star shape, you can use it to add some sweetness to the drink and also to decorate the cocktail glass.

Tamarindo Cocktail

Tamarindo is a legume native to Africa, widely used in Latin American cuisine for its strong sweet flavor, in countries like Mexico is usually used in traditional desserts and sweets.

The Tamarindo cocktail is a drink with great freshness thanks to the mixture of sweet tamarind juice and some cilantro chirarán leaves, an aromatic plant that brings exotic aromas and flavors to any preparation.

You only need three ingredients:

• Tamarindo pulp
• Tres Esquinas rum
• Cilantro chiraran leaves

First, you must mix all the ingredients vigorously in a shaker with ice, then make sure to strain it very well and serve with more ice.

Corozo Martini

Martini is a popular drink found in any bar anywhere in the world. However, you cannot miss the opportunity to try a type of martini that you’ll only find on the Caribbean coasts and Pacific.

This fruit native to the region resembles a grape or plum of intense red color, usually eaten in the company of more ingredients since its flavor is too acidic.

You should also try other martini combinations such as araza, tamarind, badea, and mamoncillo. To prepare this exotic drink, you cannot forget to get all these ingredients:

• Vodka 
• Lemon juice
• Lemon slices
• Water
• Corozo pulp
• Sugar

Mix boiling water with corozo pulp in a deep bowl to extract all the flavor, leaving it to soak for 10 minutes. Using a fork, chop the fruit and leave it for another 5 minutes. Strain the mixture and reserve the liquid.

Then dissolve the sugar in hot water and mix with the corozo extract, vodka, and lemon juice. You can serve it with some ice, and if you want, you decorate the edge of the glass with sugar and garnish it with a lemon slice. 

Guayaba Mojito

Guayaba is a fruit widely used in Colombia in traditional juices and desserts, its sweet flavor is perfect for those lovers of more soft-flavored liqueurs.

Native to Central and South America, guayaba is grown in almost all tropical countries, it has been used by indigenous communities in a wide variety of preparations. This liquor is definitely something you can only try on this side of the world.

It combines the following ingredients:

• Mint leaves
• Sugar
• Guayaba juice
• Lemon juice
• Lemon slices
• Soda
• White rum

In a shaker, or in a tall glass, add the mint leaves and sugar. Crush both ingredients until you have a homogeneous mixture. Then add the other ingredients and mix vigorously.

You can choose whether to strain it or serve it immediately in a tall glass with ice. Garnish with more mint leaves and lemon slices.

Daisy Maria

The Daisy Maria is a perfect cocktail for those who don’t like dry liquor and prefers to combine different flavors and aromas. You don’t need to be a professional mixologist to make this simple but elegant drink. Here’s what you need to make it:

• Aguardiente
• Lemon slices
• Lemon soda
• Lemon juice
• Sugar

Mix the aguardiente and lemon juice in a shaker with ice, then strain and serve in a glass with the edge garnished with lemon juice and sugar, and finish by adding some lemon soda. You can also add a slice of lemon to increase the acidity of the drink.

Satisfy Your Palate with Colombian Cocktails

Colombian cocktails are the best drinks when you want to unwind and reward yourself. They’re delicious and refreshing and are always best served over ice! 

Try our top recommendations of the best Colombian cocktails in this guide. Recreate them at home, and have a fun-filled night with your family or friends. 

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