It’s time to raise a toast to the Caribbean, the region to which modern cocktail culture owes arguably its greatest debt. From the original Piña Colada created at the Caribe Hilton, to the Daiquiri, Mojito, Painkiller and Mudslide, some of the world’s most important and trend-defying drinks got their start in the islands of the Caribbean.
But cocktail bars carrying that legacy forward in a modern context? They’re harder to find—or at least, they have been. Now, with a handful of visionary bars like La Factoría, Library by the Sea and Bon Vivants leading the charge, a new Caribbean cocktail culture is taking shape. At last, it seems, the Caribbean is reclaiming its place at the center of the global cocktail conversation.
It’s a story that starts in 2013, when La Factoría opened its doors inside a historic building in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, quickly establishing itself as one of the Caribbean’s earliest outposts of high-level mixology. Co-founders Leslie Cofresi and Roberto Berdecia drew on both the island’s rich rum-producing history and deep international influences to create a destination designed to be as fun as it was forward-thinking. It reshaped and kick-started a now vibrant cocktail culture in Puerto Rico.
La Factoría emerged into an environment that, in many ways, was perfectly positioned for a cocktail movement. Unlike many of its Caribbean neighbors, Puerto Rico has rich and uniquely island-specific culinary scene rooted in local innovation. By contrast, nearby islands peppered with all-inclusive resorts tend not to see as much gastronomic diversity and growth.
This appetite for innovative and highly sensorial culinary experiences translates naturally to mixology, so when La Factoría paired it with the feel of Old San Juan’s already thriving nightlife scene, the bar caught on quickly.
“La Factoría has been here for over a decade now, and even still there’s no stopping its growth,” said La Factoría bar manager Carlos Irizarry. What began as just a small bar in a heritage building on cobblestone streets has mushroomed into a space that spans nearly half a block. Now, it comprises eight distinct bars spread throughout the building, each offering its own unique menu—and there is more in the works, too.
In the original space, the drinks menu retains many of the bar’s now-classic cocktails. Among them is the best-selling Lavender Mule, a refreshing mix of vodka, lemon juice, ginger tea, and lavender syrup. “We like to get creative and change the menu, but that’s one drink we could never do without,” said Irizarry. “It sells more than many of our other cocktails combined.”
A personal favorite is the Hijos de Borinquen, made with Puerto Rico’s own Don Q rum and named in honor of the café that once occupied the space, a popular gathering place in the 1950s and 1960s for revolutionary idealists and artists.
In both feel and flavor, La Factoría is an intimate expression of the essence of the Caribbean. But the Caribbean is a highly diverse place. From the lobby of Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Grand Cayman’s Library by the Sea offers a totally different experience, while keeping the same commitment to creating an elevated cocktail experience in the Caribbean.
Like Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman also offers a uniquely rich culinary scene that bolstered the island’s budding mixology movement when Library by the Sea debuted in 2022. Now four years later, it was recently named the best bar in the Caribbean by North America’s 50 Best Bars, just edging out La Factoría for the title it had held for years.
“The menu at Library by the Sea is inspired by musical movements, poetry, iconic figures both real and fictional, and literary works across a wide range of genres,” explained Jim Wrigley, Beverage Manager at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa and the lead bartender at Library by the Sea.
“We knew that Library by the Sea was not the only cocktail bar based in a library in the lobby of a hotel. Once we decided that our essential definition of library was a curated collection–nominally of books–we broadened the concept to create a venue that curated a collection of experiences beyond just literature.”
Current favorites include the Frida Kahlo-inspired Viva la Vida, a refreshing agave-based cocktail made with Fortaleza Tequila and Siete Misterios Mezcal, rounded out with coconut, watermelon, and Cocchi Rosa served on a floral ice spear.
Another rising bar on everyone’s radar is Bon Vivants in the Bahamas. “Being the first craft cocktail bar in The Bahamas meant that before us either no one really wanted it, or it just wasn’t done right yet,” says co-founder Kyle Jones. “From the day we opened our doors it was obvious that the island was excited. We saw major resorts rethinking their entire beverage program and putting more emphasis on their cocktail menus that once were a second thought.”
For the teams behind La Factoría, Library by the Sea, and Bon Vivants, it isn’t a lack of potential or the interest in high-level mixology in the region, but rather a matter of the spotlight. “I would offer that there are a whole host of incredible bars and bar teams throughout the Caribbean,” says Wrigley, “but the hardest part for Caribbean recognition on lists like The World’s 50 Best Bars and others is accessibility.”
“Many of the international industry figures, journalists and spirits experts who spread the good word regularly travel through major urban environments like New York, London, and Mexico City,” Wrigley continued. “These folks are far less often amongst the over 7,000 islands and 48 million people who make up the Caribbean, which makes it harder to share these fantastic bars with a wider audience.”
Building the buzz—together—is part of the solution. This month, Bon Vivants, La Factoría, and Library by the Sea are launching the inaugural Caribbean Cocktail Tour to bring them together in a new way. Sponsored by Diageo and a number of beloved spirits partners, the tour comprises guest bar experiences at each of the three bars. It started on January 9th and 10th at Bon Vivants in the Bahamas, and will conclude on January 30th and 31st at La Factoría.
“We always appreciate being a part of such a vibrant and increasingly connected industry,” said La Factoría’s Irizarry. “These are our friends, but they are also inspiration,” he says, offering the hope that the Caribbean Cocktail Tour is the first of many.
Though the type of attention that comes from awards and rankings is important, it isn’t everything. “We have just been so excited to be part of the conversation in the cocktail world,” said Irizarry. Now, the conversation is one they’re starting themselves.