Best Cocktails in Quito Ecuador Casa Gangotena

Art comes in many forms, but I hadn’t considered one of those forms in a cocktail. And I certainly hadn’t expected to find an accomplished mixology artist in Quito Ecuador. But sometimes the best experiences are when you least expect it.

After a long day of touring around Quito, I sat down for a cocktail at Casa Gangotena in the heart of Quito Old Town. While sitting at the open air rooftop terrace, I read the never-ending cocktail menu and was immediately intrigued. It wasn’t just large, but it was unusual…really unusual.

Bourbon, Gin, AND IPA all in the same cocktail…wait…did I read that right?

Telling a Story in a Glass

Casa Gangotena’s FIESTA cocktails were created to take you on a drinking tour through some of Ecuador’s loveliest provinces and towns, celebrating the wealth of unique native ingredients commonly enjoyed in each of these regions during popular festivals. This wasn’t just a cocktail, this was an experience in a glass. From the aromas, to the ingredients, to the tastes, to the glass itself, it told a complete story.

Fiesta Menu

For the Fiesta menu they studied the region where the fiesta was held, determined key ingredients and flavors, and developed a complex drink that would be more than simply thirst quenching…it would be transporting.

I chose to start with the Fiesta del Maiz cocktail. The festival is a harvest celebration held in September in the northern province of Imbabura. The combination of bourbon, gin, and beer intrigued and perplexed me; I had to try it. It came out in a beautiful ceramic glass with a lid on top that held corn nuts and other crunchy goodness. You simply took the lid off and you had a little plate of nibblies to have with the cocktail – it was beautiful and ingenious!

I’m gonna say it…it was probably one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. The flavors were bright and refreshing (always good in a hot country), and the little bites of corn nuts enhanced the whole experience.

As I watched the other unusual drinks come out for our group, I was equally impressed with the other cocktails and glasses. Other festivals and flavors are represented on the menu like the Diablada de Píllaro; the Devil’s Dance Festival held in the province of Tungurahua south of Quito. The festival celebrates indigenous liberation and rebellion from colonialism. And the cocktail includes rum, apple, ginger, hot pepper, hominy juice and goldenberry – all served up in an…