In Cartagena de Indias, Alquímico has built its reputation on cocktails, music, and a Caribbean vibe, but behind the venue’s success lies a clear philosophy: taking care of the team even before the guests. Three floors, three distinct identities, and just as many social and environmental projects reflect a vision of hospitality that goes far beyond the bar.
The Venue
To be a great bar, it’s not enough to know how to make a good cocktail. And when three different spaces coexist under one roof—each with its own menu and atmosphere—the challenge becomes even more complex: maintaining the same spirit of hospitality from the beginning to the end of the evening. At Alquímico, in the heart of Cartagena de Indias’s Ciudad Amurallada, everything starts with a very simple principle, however: before taking care of guests, you must learn to take care of the people who work there. “Hospitality is, first and foremost, an act of care,” explained COO Paola Oviedo to 50 Best. And that care, in her view, must begin from within. You can’t offer genuine hospitality for a few hours to someone sitting at the bar unless you practice that same attitude every day with your colleagues. This is the starting point for Alquímico, housed in a grand, approximately 120-year-old mansion dating back to the Republican era. Over the years, the venue has built a reputation as one of the world’s greatest party bars, but behind the music, the cocktails, and the energy of its nights lies an organization in which the staff is the key ingredient. New team members are also chosen for the values they share with the project. They must enjoy interacting with people and, above all, find satisfaction in what they do. This selection process results in a team that Oviedo describes as lively, energetic, and fun, yet also attentive and sensitive.
Respect and gratitude play a central role. Every person who walks through the bar’s door, the manager explains, is entrusting the establishment with something precious: their time. They’ve chosen Alquímico; they’ve decided to spend part of their day or night there and to share a moment of their life with the staff. That’s why guests are treated as equals. There is no artificially created distance between those who serve and those who are served: we observe, listen, and try to understand what each person needs to feel comfortable. At the same time, spontaneity and warmth do not mean a lack of rules. There are precise protocols that help the team work better and allow the experience to feel natural. Empathy is also essential. Every guest has different expectations, a different personality, and perhaps even a different kind of day behind them. Understanding all of this means adapting the service without losing consistency. And then there’s the fun. Alquímico is a Colombian and Caribbean bar, and joy is part of its identity. People come to drink, dance, laugh, meet someone, and leave their daily lives behind for a few hours. The goal is to create a space where you can simply feel good.
Three Floors, Three Spirits
This philosophy is then brought to life across the three floors of the large building that houses Alquímico. Each floor has its own identity, a distinct cocktail menu, and a unique energy, but all are connected to social or environmental projects that are integral to the venue. The ground floor is the bar’s liveliest heart. Here, an all-female team works amid smiles, music, and an atmosphere designed for socializing. Among the cocktails is the Mango, made with reposado tequila, mango vermouth, palm wine, and hops. It’s also the space where Alquímico’s most iconic cocktail program takes shape. The recipes are built around Colombian ingredients, regions, producers, and stories. And the rapport with guests can become immediately festive: anyone who’s visited the bar will likely also recall the impromptu dance routines set to the tune of “Catalina,” the anthem of champeta. Heading up to the first floor, the atmosphere changes. It’s a more intimate setting, perfect for couples, small groups, or simply those who want to sit and chat. Here, the cocktail takes center stage, and classic recipes are reimagined using Colombian ingredients and flavors. Then there’s the rooftop, where the evening takes on a whole new vibe. It’s the most openly Caribbean and lively space, featuring reggaeton DJ sets, large fans, and a dance floor where the line between regulars and new friends quickly blurs.
Here, the cocktails continue to follow Alquímico’s Colombian philosophy, but take on a more playful tone. The Hibisco combines rum, ginger, hibiscus, red vermouth, and falernum; the Coca, on the other hand, features gin, passion fruit, and a soda made from roasted coca leaves. And when the party goes on until 2 a.m., there’s one final touch. For those who’ve stayed until the very end, Alquímico serves up a steaming bowl of chicken soup. In a city where humidity typically reaches extremely high levels, this might seem like an unusual choice, but it has become a sort of nocturnal reward and a little help in getting through the next morning.
The Cocktail as a Tool to Support the Local Community
The most interesting aspect of the project, however, is that the three floors don’t just represent three different ways of experiencing the night. Each is linked to a concrete initiative. The ground-floor menu supports Asocoman, an agricultural community with which Alquímico collaborates on projects related to access to water and education. The first floor, on the other hand, funds the Hospitality School, which opened in 2026 to offer young people training opportunities, practical experience, and, subsequently, access to the workforce. The rooftop is connected to Alquímico’s farm in Colombia’s coffee-growing region. Ingredients grown there are used in the cocktails, while the project also supports a broader environmental goal: planting thousands of native trees and contributing to the regeneration of the ecosystem. The venue’s social mission has also expanded to include an initiative supporting communities affected by the recent earthquake in Colombia, through a dedicated aid channel focused on fundraising and assistance during the recovery phase.
Thus, behind Alquímico’s three atmospheres, a single concept of hospitality emerges. Celebration is not separate from responsibility, and a cocktail is not merely what is served at the bar. It can become the means through which to support a farmer, fund a young person’s education, protect an ecosystem, or help a community. This is also why Alquímico received the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award in 2026 as part of the World’s 50 Best Bars. The award recognizes precisely that aspect of the work that often remains unseen behind a great bar: the ability to create an environment where the staff feels at ease, guests feel welcome, and every detail contributes to the overall experience. “We serve with sincerity and without expecting anything in return,” says Oviedo. The greatest reward for the team is a smile—knowing that someone felt welcome, had a good time, or will take home a special memory of the evening. At Alquímico, after all, the most fascinating alchemy doesn’t happen only in the glass. It begins with the people behind the bar and extends to those who walk in, to the city, to the producers, and to the land.
