Last week, Fort Worth’s Bowie House, Auberge Collection, hosted one of Mexico City’s most celebrated cocktail bars. For four nights only, Baltra Bar, a cozy, Darwin-inspired lounge, took over the space, bringing its inventive, travel-inspired drinks to Texas. I attended opening night to see how the flavors, philosophy, and energy of a distant city would translate to Cowtown.
Baltra Bar, named after one of the Galápagos Islands, carries the spirit of exploration. In its Mexico City home, taxidermy, maps, and insects line the walls, a nod to the father of evolution, Charles Darwin. Its drinks are designed as little hacks for travelers; cocktails meant to spark conversations or encourage you to try something new. For this pop-up, Baltra created a four-drink menu that included two classics and two originals, one of which was exclusive to Bowie House.
The full menu featured Contacto Visual, made with Devil’s Grin TX Gin, peach tea, sake, lychee, raspberry purée, and lemon juice; Ponche Granada, with Condesa Gin, red wine, port, pomegranate liqueur, Frangelico, pomegranate juice, lime, simple syrup, nut milk, and a dusting of nutmeg; Ultima Duda, made with Blackland Rye, fat-wash butter, Raicilla Coffee Liqueur, white cocoa, and cold brew; and the exclusive Cowtown Camanay, featuring Socorro Reposado, Sherry, Lillet Blanc, guava wine, and a vanilla shrub.
I was greeted with a plate of chicharrónes and a glass of water; the proverbial calm before the storm. I started with the Cowtown Camanay, a smooth, floral drink served with a floating flower. Sweet and enticing, it was the kind of cocktail that makes you slow your sip and savor it, so as not to get too relaxed.
My second drink, the Ultima Duda, was darker, bitter, and laced with coffee, a sharp counterpoint that woke the senses and offered a completely different experience from the first. This was a wake-up drink for sure.
Between sips, I talked with my bartender, Alejandra Cardona, who explained the vision behind Baltra.
“The bar is inspired by Darwin’s travels,” she said. “Our menu this time is called ‘An Unnecessary Guide for a Normal Traveler.’ Each cocktail is like a little hack for a traveler for any situation.”
She smiled as she described the Ponche Granada, inspired by an old Mexico City cantina. “That one’s for when you don’t have any other plans and you just want to do something crazy,” she said. I laughed and told her I knew the feeling, having tried riding a mechanical bull with the Texas Rattlers, which lasted three spins before gravity won.
That is the kind of energy Baltra brings: curious, clever, and just a little bit reckless. Owned by the same group behind Licorería Limantour, one of The World’s 50 Best Bars, Baltra leans into a relaxed, living-room vibe, with locals scattered on couches, couples trading stories over coffee tables, and maps, butterflies, and occasional taxidermy on the walls.
This year, Baltra ranked #78 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list and #20 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list, but on that night at Bowie House, it felt like #1. The pop-up may be over, but that first sip, that floating flower, and the feeling of two cities colliding over cocktails will stick with me for a while.