The 7 Best Cocktail Bars in the Caribbean

In the land of too-sugary, too-large frozen margaritas, guests visiting the Rosewood Mayakoba‘s Zapote Bar instead gain access to a world of reimagined possibilities. The bar’s current Call of the Wild menu showcases ingredients and themes from the Yucatan, playing off the region’s flora and fauna, as well as Mayan folklore, to construct a lineup of creative and vibrant cocktails.

Zapote, currently listed at number 11 among North America’s 50 Best Bars, is a shining example of a new generation of Caribbean cocktail bars. These establishments are throwing away the stereotypes of an area such as the Riviera Maya, and instead focusing on more authentic representations of locality while delivering world-class experiences that would be right at home in major cocktail hubs such as New York or London.

Today’s cocktail leaders in the Caribbean pay homage to the historical drinks culture in the region — whether the ancient traditions of fermented beverages such as tepache in Mexico, or the deep affinity for island rum in Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and beyond — while giving voice to a new generation of thought leaders who are carrying the industry forward.

Look no further than the team behind Caribbean stalwart La Factoría, including founders Roberto Berdecia, Leslie Cofresí and Pablo Rodríguez, who have been on a decade-long mission not to run a successful bar, but to showcase the culture of their island and to bring as many people along for the ride as possible. Even more exciting is that a second location of La Factoría is soon set to debut in Puerto Rico, as the legendary bar expands its reach further while remaining steadfast in its mission.

One good turn deserves another, and the best in the Caribbean today aren’t afraid to take risks while debuting new projects. Rosewood Mayakoba’s Zapote Bar and its bar director Josh Monaghan aren’t resting on their laurels, for instance. Instead, they’ve debuted an exciting offshoot, La Isla Secreta, a private island speakeasy that may be the only of its kind on the planet. It’s a chic oasis hidden among the canals, lagoons and mangroves of Mayakoba’s lush, verdant environs that’s accessible only via boat. Good luck trying that in New York.

Big swings, new debuts and an emphasis on authentic local representation is what separates the best from the rest in the Caribbean today. From swanky hotel bars such as the aforementioned Zapote Bar, to city hot spots and culture leaders such as La Factoría, here are seven of the Caribbean’s best cocktail bars to seek out on your next beach getaway.

Alquímico

Alquímico has garnered accolades such as the Best International Bar Team from Tales of the Cocktail, and is currently listed at number nine among the World’s 50 Best Bars. The bar exemplifies the sultry, steamy vibe for which Cartagena is known, while showcasing the bounty of natural ingredients and biodiversity coming from Colombia. Instead of farm to table, it’s farm to bar at Alquímico, where each of the space’s three floors has a different vibe. That’s not empty ideology, either; owner Jean Trinh has a farm where many ingredients such as the herbs and produce that are used in the bar’s cocktails are grown.

ARCA

Tulum has never had a shortage of nightlife, but at an establishment such as ARCA, it’s not just about the scene. Instead, it delivers well-thought beverages via a bar program that has garnered international recognition. It’s also the type of place where you can comfortably spend an entire evening, with culinary offerings leaning heavily on a rich, fresh bounty from the sea, along with open-fire cooking worthy of attention as well. To wash it down, instead of a frozen Miami Vice, consider something such as a house Mayami Nice, with pineapple-infused rum, passion fruit and Xtabentun, an anise liqueur from the Yucatan, or enjoy a craveable Rum Punch that’s been kicked up by the addition of fino sherry, along with mandarin and mole bitters.

The Bon Vivants

The name to know in Nassau is The Bon Vivants, where island style is mixed with Bahamian energy and a dash of Ernest Hemingway. The result is a lively atmosphere backed up by an extensive and well-honed cocktail menu ranging from classics to elaborate house concoctions, and entire sections devoted to Negroni riffs and tiki staples. There’s also an enormous spirits selection, and a thoughtful no-ABV menu for those who aren’t indulging. For a taste of something unique, order one of their “living bottles,” house blends of whiskey and rum that are ever-evolving in nature, or try inventive libation such as the El Chapo, with ingredients such as a coconut-water ice ball and passion fruit caviar garnish.

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Door No. 4

Simon Crompton’s Door No. 4 is one of several cocktail bars that have transformed Grand Cayman into a surprising cocktail center. The Art Deco bar combines Caymanian ingredients, Caribbean hospitality and spruced-up old school tropical cocktails in a way that manages to feel authentic and honest. Consider A Jamaican In New York, a funky rum cocktail in the form of a Manhattan style beverage, including walnut liqueur and a house vermouth blend. A lineup of low ABV drinks steal some of the spotlight and are useful counterpoints to such boozy offerings; try something such as the Panama Cooler, with Riesling and fino sherry serving as a base along with raspberry shrub, grapefruit juice and tangerine soda.

La Factoría

No bar is more responsible for elevating the entire world of Caribbean cocktailing than La Factoría, listed at number 18 in North America. The bar proved that the highest levels of cocktails could come from a locale such as Old San Juan without conforming to the expectations or flavors of a far-off place. Local ingredients and drinking traditions are placed front and center, and are served up with an incredible energy and elan from within a multi-concept space where visitors can opt to enjoy anything from a quiet cocktail to a lively dance party.

Over the past decade, La Factoría has tirelessly flown the flag for Puerto Rico, elevating generations of bartenders and bar world professionals along the way. Being able to maintain that spirit while offering each and every customer the embodiment of unabashed fun and welcoming hospitality is no small feat.

Library By The Sea

The Kimpton Seafire on Grand Cayman made a splash in the Caribbean cocktail world with the debut of Library By The Sea. Beverage manager Jim Wrigley took the reins of the space which opened at the end of 2022 and played into its library bar concept with a menu broken into short stories and tall tales, with drink sections such as page turners, masterpieces and first editions. Instead of bartenders, imagine the team as curators and collectors; just replace that dingy, dark library with a tropical setting and a view of Seven Mile Beach and you’re all set. There’s also a lineup of vintage spirits available to be tasted for those looking for an epic, one-of-a-kind nightcap that may just be worthy of writing a novella about.

Zapote

At a property such as Rosewood Mayakoba, where the culinary efforts led by executive chef Edgar Chavez have long garnered recognition, it perhaps shouldn’t have come as a surprise that world-class cocktails would soon be in the offing. And when Zapote opened in early 2021, it signaled that the hotel world at large in the region would soon be undergoing an evolution.

Zapote’s latest libations are loaded with local ingredients and stories, and once ordered, knowledgeable bartenders and servers can explain the mythology of a corresponding animal graphic that’s tied to the drink, or the way a traditional ingredient was used by indigenous peoples. Try the Mono, a vibrant tequila cocktail paired with an array of tropical flavors including kiwi, guava and green apple; or the Venado, a savory libation that uses Mexican white rum that’s been infused with Mayan oregano and paired with ingredients such as Mayan lime and salvia, Lillet Blanc, lime soda, Hoja Santa and cacao.

Cocktails worth traveling for in the Riviera Maya, even though they aren’t sold by the yard. It’s about time.