Aruba Cocktail Culture: Craft Your Own Island Drinks at a Mixology Class
Walking into Boutique Speakeasy, you notice what’s missing. No Blue Curaçao. No frozen blenders. Cristian Montilla, the 21-year-old Colombian bartender with four years of experience, has a firm rule: respect the classics, but reinvent them with local ingredients. His La Sirena—premium vodka, lychee liqueur, elderflower liqueur, and homemade clarified lemon juice—is a lesson in balance. It’s also a perfect introduction to Aruba’s cocktail culture, where every drink tells a story. Gilbert Gomez, a 39-year-old Aruban bartender with 20 years of experience, placed 2nd in the Caribbean Remy Martin Crafted Cocktail competition in February in Barbados. This article covers four