The World's 50 Best Bars Announces Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award Winner: Eco-Pioneer Jean Trinh of Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia

More than a million travelers visit Colombia annually, with most coming from the U.S. They now have one more reason to visit this "The Land of Eternal Spring," especially if they are cocktail fans who care about the environment.

Jean Trinh, co-founder of Alquímico, a sustainability-focused cocktail bar in Cartagena, Colombia, has been named the winner of the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award 2022. This prestigious award is part of The World's 50 Best Bars 2022, a definitive list of the world's best drinking venues. The award was voted for by the bartenders on this year's list, who were asked to name one peer who pushes the limits of what it means to be a great bartender. It is the most coveted peer-voted award in the bar world.

The award goes to a personality who made a significant impact in the global bar sector over the voting period and recognizes their commitment to the international community in that time. This is the second of two special awards to be announced ahead of the live awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The World's 50 Best Bars 2022, sponsored by Perrier, marks the first time the illustrious event has been held outside London since its 2009 inception. The ceremony will once again unite the global bar community in recognition of the best bars in the world.

"We're delighted to announce Jean Trinh as the winner of this year's Altos Bartenders' Bartender," says Mark Sansom, Content Director for The World's 50 Best Bars. "From his strikingly inventive approach to the art of cocktail making to his forward-thinking attitude towards sustainability and his unerring commitment to his team and his community, Jean's spirit rings true to each of the key tenets of what makes a winner of the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award."

French with Vietnamese heritage, Trinh was born into hospitality, growing up in his parents' restaurants. In 2013, his journey led him to Cartagena de Indias and the indelible experience of Colombian hospitality, opening his first pop-up bar just six months later. Within three years, he established Alquímico in a stunning three-story mansion in the historic heart of the city.

Renowned for serving more than 850 guests daily, Alquímico offers three unique concepts - La Mansión, El Balcón and Terraza - each with their own unique cocktail menu, under one roof. Throughout the bar, Trinh champions the biodiversity and produce of his adopted home, searching the country for new producers and craftspeople to allow him to put sustainability at the heart of every decision he makes.

In 2018, Alquímico invested in a 25-acre farm in rural Colombia to sustainably and organically grow the freshest produce for the high-volume cocktail programme. During the global pandemic, in the face of a complete shutdown, Trinh led his team #FromTheBarToTheFarm, housing his bartenders and their families and collaborating with local small producers and farmers to learn and develop sustainable agricultural practices. In addition to selling their organic produce, they donated food baskets to the poor, built an apiary to reduce the bar's reliance on sugar, reforested native trees and created an educational space for the local farming community as well as colleagues within the industry that wished

to learn more.

In 2020, Alquímico joined the list of The World's 50 Best Bars at No.47, the first Colombian bar ever to feature. In the same year, they were also the first bar from Latin America to be awarded the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award.

"It is such an honor to be named Altos Bartenders' Bartender by the amazing people of my industry," says Trinh. "When the pandemic struck, we were forced to re-evaluate everything about how we lived and worked together but I am so proud of the achievements of my team through this time. Together we have built a stronger community and a more sustainable Alquímico, which I hope will continue to inspire sustainable practices around the world. I am so thankful to receive this recognition from my peers after the rollercoaster we have all been on for the last few years and I hope to welcome them all to Alquímico to share our drinks and our ideas in the years to come."

"Supporting the community of bartenders has been a pillar for Altos Tequila since its creation in 2010," says Carlos Andres Ramirez, Head of Global Advocacy and PR for Altos Tequila. "Twelve years on,we continue to invest in this support via the Tahona Society Competition initiative, the first sustainable projects competition. From the Altos Tequila and Tahona Society family we want to congratulate our friend from Alquímico, Jean Trinh, for winning the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award as part of The World's 50 Best Bars 2022."

There has never been a better time to visit "The Gateway to South America" and sophisticated tipplers who care about the planet are in the best of hands with Jean Trinh and his team at Alquímico.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Alquímico

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