Colombia's national spirit, Aguardiente, is experiencing a renaissance, largely driven by artisanal brand Bacan Guaro. Founded by Ricardo and Diana Espinosa March during the pandemic, Bacan is crafted from first-press organic sugarcane and features a refined star anise flavor from slow oil infusion, available in two ABV strengths. This premium approach is transforming aguardiente's perception from a traditional shot to a sophisticated cocktail ingredient. Industry figures like Michelin-starred Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos laud Bacan for modernizing the spirit while retaining its cultural heritage. The brand focuses on educating consumers and bartenders, strategically building its market presence to elevate the entire aguardiente category globally, moving beyond its "firewater" image. Bacan aims to redefine Colombian aguardiente's international standing.
Aguardiente, the national spirit of Colombia, is having a renaissance. And while the anise-flavored spirit has roots that go back centuries—stretching back, by some accounts, to the 1500s—it’s only fairly recently that it has broken through to the upper echelons of bars and restaurants. This shift is embodied by, and, in many ways, led by Bacan Guaro, an artisanal, certified kosher aguardiente distilled from first-press organic sugarcane that is changing perceptions at every wrung of the proverbial ladder.
“Aguardiente is part of our heritage, and Colombians love to celebrate everything,” explained Juan Manuel Barrientos, chef and owner of Elcielo, the Colombian restaurant whose locations in Miami and Washington, DC, each have a Michelin star. “For us, almost everything becomes a fiesta, and aguardiente is often el alma de la fiesta, the soul of the party. It has been part of Colombian culture for generations.”
Barrientos went on to explain that aguardiente (guaro is how it’s referred to in Colombia) was traditionally consumed during these celebrations—and on plenty of other occasions, too—as a shot. That’s changing, however, thanks to the rise in quality, the shift in perception, and the spirit’s ability to lift cocktails in unexpected ways.
“I think Bacan is the perfect example of this evolution: The quality of the product, the handcrafted production, and even the unboxing experience tell a new story about Colombia and about how aguardiente is evolving,” he continued. “It keeps the tradition, but presents it in a more modern way.”
That was Ricardo March’s goal when he founded Bacan Guaro, with his wife Diana Espinosa March, during the pandemic. Yet like so many business success stories, it was far from a foregone conclusion that it would work.
Still, all of the pieces were in place. March works as Senior Vice President Spirits Division for Royal Wine Corp., which has, for decades, been considered one of the most important distributors of kosher wine in the United States. He’s been instrumental in expanding and evolving the company’s spirits portfolio, in carving out a distinct identity for it within the larger corporate umbrella, and in growing it into a force in the spirits industry. Today, Royal’s roster of spirit producers has gained impressive appeal and expanded well beyond the kosher market, with brands like Tomintoul, Glencadam, Boondocks, Ron Viejo de Caldas, and more.
When the lockdowns occurred, and he and Espinosa March finally had the time to focus on what a truly artisanal guaro brand might look like, they realized that the time had come to take their proverbial swing.
“I told my wife, ‘This is the perfect time.’ Because before I never had time. So I was at home and I said, ‘Hold on a second, let’s start designing the bottles, let’s ask for some samples.’ And because of the connections that I have, I was able to get samples and start formulating the product," he said. "And that’s the way we discovered that the best aguardientes have to come from 100% sugarcane juice, not molasses. And to make it even better, we have to do it organic.”
Once the character and origin of the base spirit was decided on, the Marches had to determine the best way to incorporate guaro’s telltale anise flavor. Because as with botanicals in a gin, there are a number of ways to incorporate anise into aguardiente. The majority gain their telltale flavor from aniseed extract; the Marches, however, realized that a slow infusion of oils from star anise produced the most elegant, subtle expression. “It creates a whole different product,” he explained.