- 4 mins
Bar Pionero is a special corner of Hotel Las Torres where flavors, aromas, sustainability and culinary creativity come together to offer the perfect finale to your days exploring Torres del Paine National Park.
At our bar, autochthonous flavors breathe new life into the region’s best herbs, fruit and vegetables with palate-pleasing combinations and remarkable presentations. Each cocktail reflects the imagination of our head bartender, Federico Gil, who uses implements made from recycled bottles to bring his unique concept to life. More than just a journey through Patagonian flavors, Bar Pionero is a sensory adventure in cocktails you will never forget.
Innovation and sustainability: At the heart of Bar Pionero
A truly sustainable bar within Torres del Paine National Park, Bar Pionero’s mixology spotlights local ingredients like Magellan barberry, ñirre (Nothofagus antarctica), rhubarb and wild herbs. Each cocktail features elements that act as authentic ambassadors, representing the region’s natural richness.
The environmental commitment behind each Bar Pionero process is another distinguishing feature. The bar recovers its used bottles by turning them into glasses and bartending tools, thereby extending the useful life of hundreds of kilos of glass each season.
Firmly committed to eliminating single-use plastics, our bar has replaced plastic straws with copper or vegetable straws and compostable waste collection bags with reusable sacks.
We also use our still—another Bar Pionero pride and joy—to distill alcohol from unserved beer and produce gin and other handcrafted spirits, extending the useful lives of various ingredients and reducing waste.
Must-try cocktails: Naturally-inspired creativity
The must-try Bar Pionero menu features cocktails made with native fruit, innovative techniques and a combination of flavors that awaken all your senses:
Andiperla: Tierra Paine gin infused with Magellan barberry root, handcrafted coffee liqueur, wild spearmint cream liqueur and dark cocoa served in a white-chocolate-coated edible cup
Navegante: Mistral Toasted Barrel pisco, Revolución (Chilean papaya moonshine), almond and paramela orgeat, orange cordial, lemon juice and Winter’s bark syrup
Tsunami Austral: Yerba mate-infused pisco, rhubarb cider, pipeño (a traditional, young Chilean wine), the ice cream of the day, Magellan barberry liqueur and fernet bitters, topped with salted apples
Rusty Wild: La Estancia spiced whiskey, Drambuie, Artemisia absinthium smoke and oleo saccharum served over whiskey stones
Coirón Sour: Colorless pisco, lemon juice, spice mix (honey, ginger and vinegar), albumen, coirón smoke and house bitters
Each creation translates the local landscape and culture into a liquid experience, making every sip a true sensory adventure.
Local ingredients and biodiversity: The soul of the flavors
To taste a Bar Pionero’s cocktail is to embark on an authentic journey through Patagonia without leaving your seat. The protagonists are local ingredients like Magellan barberry, rhubarb, paramela and ñirre. For example, the Torres del Paine cocktail blends Ciervo Austral vodka, Trä Kál, Magellan barberry liqueur and ñirre cordial. The refreshing Mojito Pionero blends Magellan barberry and rhubarb into a freshness explosion.
Every sip at Bar Pionero translates the region’s richness into an unparalleled experience. Cocktails like the Andiperla, served in a white-chocolate-coated edible cup, or the Coiron Sour, smoked in Patagonian coirón, demonstrate our commitment to capturing native flavors using innovative, sustainable techniques.
We celebrate the local biodiversity and culture in our cocktails and in the kitchen, with creations like the “El Calafate” pizza, topped with shredded lamb and chimichurri, making each visit a true sensory exploration of the world’s southernmost region.
Adapting to Patagonia: Secrets of sustainable mixology
Creativity and ingenuity are critical when creating one-of-a-kind flavor experiences in the extreme conditions of Torres del Paine. Bar Pionero uses seasonal fermentations, smoking techniques with local herbs, including ñirre and coirón, and homemade bitters to keep its menu alive throughout the season.
Our head bartender also brews his own beer and distills gin just meters from the bar. Next to our bio-intensive garden, Federico Gil has set up his brewery, which provides exquisite flavors that can only be produced in this corner of the world.
Cultural history in every glass
At Bar Pionero, we firmly believe that “Nothing is lost; everything is transformed.” Our bartender, Federico Gil, complements that principle with his philosophy: “When we stop to consider where we come from, we discover where we are going.” Our bar breathes new life into traditional regional products and draws inspiration from popular Chilean classics, recreating them with a Patagonian twist.
One example, the Tsunami Austral, is a tribute to the traditional Chilean drink, terremoto (meaning earthquake). The conventional blend of pipeño (a traditional, young Chilean wine), grenadine and pineapple ice cream becomes a unique creation with yerba mate-infused pisco, rhubarb cider, Magellan barberry liqueur, the ice cream of the day and fernet bitters, topped with salted apples and served in a coupe glass over crushed ice to evoke the waves of the Pacific.
The Andiperla, another cocktail menu icon, is made with Tierra Paine gin, wild spearmint cream liqueur and dark cocoa, served in a white-chocolate-coated cookie cup. It takes its name from one of the few insects that inhabit Patagonian glaciers. This zero-waste drink reminds us of the fragility of our ecosystems and the importance of every conservation action.
During your visit to Hotel Las Torres, do not forget to stop by Bar Pionero and experience the unique flavors available there. For more information about reservations, check out the following link: https://lastorres.com/donde-alojar/hotel-las-torres-patagonia/
