Viche Route in Bogotá: Four places to learn more about this ancient beverage from the Colombian Pacific.

On the shelves of a shop located in Quinta Camacho (Bogotá), glass bottles rest: some contain a clear liquid, others a darker one. The walls, painted in pastel shades of yellow, pink, and blue, give the place a warm atmosphere. The labels read "Bantura Viche" in an elongated font, accompanied by the image of a man holding a borage flower in his mouth. There are also symbols of the Colombian Pacific: a marimba, a canoe, viche written in pieces of sugarcane, and T-shirts with phrases like "black as viche."

“Viche is memory and life; it's all the stories that are built and told with this drink in hand. I embrace viche because it's a way of keeping me close to Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca) ,” says Ramón Ramón Viveros Ortiz, owner of Bantura, a Bogotá-based business. He's lived in the capital for 15 years, but his spirit preserves the flavor and traditions of the Valle del Cauca Pacific.

The term viche or biche , which refers to green, unripe, or raw fruit, comes from the expression "bichí" in the Bantu languages, native to the central valleys of Nigeria and its border with Cameroon. However, in the Pacific, it designates an ancestral beverage made by Afro-descendant communities in four departments: Chocó, Cauca, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca.

In 2024, the Government issued Decree 1456, which regulates Law 2158 of 2021, known as the Viche/Biche Law , which establishes mechanisms to protect, preserve, and promote this beverage. The document stipulates, among other things, that:

To make this beverage, the sugarcane is cut before it ripens, which gives it a distinctive flavor. "Viche is the extraction of juice from native Pacific sugarcane, which is produced in traditional mills and distilled in stills," explains Viveros.

Although it has historically been considered a medicinal drink—and remains so—viche has also found new traction in cities like Bogotá, where businesses, bars, and restaurants include it in tastings or signature cocktails. At EL TIEMPO, we toured four places in Bogotá where you can try this drink, learn about its history, and experience the Pacific through its flavors.

Ramón Viveros Ortíz arrived in Bogotá pursuing his dream of becoming a soccer player. The son of a father who doesn't drink alcohol and an evangelical pastor mother, he didn't grow up surrounded by the tradition of viche. However, once he settled in the capital, he became interested in this beverage, which has now become the soul of his business.

The name of his project, Bantura, comes from two roots: one linguistic and the other cultural. On the one hand, it alludes to the Bantu languages, and on the other, it's a contraction of Buenaventura , his hometown. For Viveros, this word brings together two essential elements: African heritage and a connection to his territory.

With his venture, Viveros goes beyond selling a drink; on the contrary, he seeks to invite people to discover this region through its beaches, nature, and cuisine. He also recognizes the long road that Afro-descendant communities have traveled to achieve recognition for viche, which, for years, was considered illegal. “Teacher Isabelino Valencia, from Río Naya and a defender of Buenaventura, told me that sometimes the vicheros lit cigarettes to disguise the aroma of viche and hide the tanks.”

At the Quinta Camacho location (Calle 69 #10a-29), bottles of Viche coexist with other traditional Pacific drinks: tomaseca, arrechón, arrancargallo and curao , along with sweets such as chancacas (a mixture of coconut, panela and cinnamon) and other products such as pipilongo salt, a spice native to the region.

The viche it offers comes from the Naya River, a four-hour boat ride from the urban center of Buenaventura. It's made by master brewer Alonso Caicedo Medina, and once in Bogotá, it's stored at its headquarters in Chapinero. From there, it's distributed to other venues such as Casa de la Paz, Cocodrilo, Café de la Tintería, and bookstores like Nada and Matorral. The establishment also offers a space for experiences: cocktail nights, guided tastings, and viche-themed gatherings.

“This is Don Diego. Diego González is in the Guachalito neighborhood of Nuquí. His viche is very special because he produces it right where the river meets the sea. He also created a viche route that he offers at his Mar y Río inn,” says Vanessa Jaramillo, one of the people behind Curandera, a showcase located in the San Felipe neighborhood of Bogotá that showcases the producers behind this beverage.

Don Diego's story also contains a concern: he has no heirs. " He says none of his children are interested in continuing this knowledge. But he continues working with the community : he buys their sugarcane and maintains traditional production methods, whether with the 'mata cuatro' (four-killing) mill or the mechanical one," explains Jaramillo.

Curandera (74a Street #20c-59) is a small, yet intimate and powerful space. Its objective is clear: to make vicheros the protagonists. On its shelves are 11 brands and 16 varieties of this beverage, each with a unique face, story, and territory. Jaramillo assures: “We focus on telling the story of the people behind each bottle. During the tastings, we show their faces, origins, production methods, and the type of sugarcane used.”

The story is in the details: the coasters feature photographs of Vicheros, and when turned over, you can read stories about each product . The proposal also seeks to change the stigma surrounding this beverage.

"We need to get people to lose their fear of viche. There's still a stigma, but when we explain the process and they know where it comes from, their perception changes . There's no need to be afraid because it's a well-made product, and we're very careful with the selection here," he adds.

In addition to offering viche by the shot or quarter-bottle—like the "Doña Sofi," which can cost up to 112,000 pesos— Curandera also designed a cocktail menu inspired by Pacific fruits and adaptations of viche cocktail classics . Prices range from 30,000 to 45,000 pesos.

Dioselina Benítez, known as Diosa, arrived in Bogotá from the town of Santa Bárbara (Chocó). Together with her son, Cristian Arizala , they created Viche Dioses, a family business that seeks to rescue the cultural and spiritual practices of their community and family, passed down from generation to generation.

“ Viche is heritage, wisdom; it's medicine, ancestry, and territory. But it's also the living stories of our ancestors, of my grandparents,” says Arizala. The beverage isn't just a product; it's also the legacy of her relatives who dedicated themselves to viche production.

The road hasn't been easy for this venture. "It's been very challenging to be in the city and showcase our product. Sometimes there are barriers imposed by the market itself, but we've worked hard on our brand. It's been quite a journey," he confesses.

The name 'Dioses' carries a symbolic meaning that not only pays tribute to African deities and ancestors, but is also a way of honoring Dioselina. "My mother has been a very resilient, hard-working woman. It's a tribute to her, who alone could take on us, my siblings. It's a tribute to her and her legacy, which keeps us alive today," Cristian concludes.

Their main distribution center is in Bosa, and they also have a restaurant in Dioselina. They've also found a space at Arte y Pasión Café, in the Delia Zapata Cultural Center ( Cl. 11 #5 - 60), where the viche is served in cocktails.

Inspired by the Pacific, Petronio was born, a restaurant located in the El Polo neighborhood ( Cra. 22 #84-99). Their offerings shine not only for their cuisine, but also for their signature cocktails, many of them prepared with viche.

Some of their most striking cocktails are: 'Like it was the first time' (80,000 Colombian pesos), made with coconut viche and rum, and 'Village Game' (52,000 Colombian pesos), a mix of Viche, lulo, hibiscus syrup and cinnamon smoke.

José Luis Orrego, a Cali native and creator of Petronio, defines himself as the conductor of the orchestra: someone who organizes an experience based on stories told in each dish and drink . “This place appeals to people's emotions, to generate feelings through memories,” he says.

The project was born after research across the four Pacific departments. “I traveled through these regions, where women shared their recipes, but also their way of life,” says Orrego. In the process, she not only acquired knowledge, but also shared her own; an experience she considers a knowledge exchange.

Today, between their two restaurants (Petronio and Selvatiko), they have more than ten cocktails prepared with viche, arrechón, and tomaseca. Their goal isn't to hide the flavors, but rather to make viche the protagonist.

The brands they work with, such as Viche Víbora (Nariño) and Canao (Boca de Amé, Chocó), come from territories like San Isidro and the Middle Atrato. Orrego and his team are careful in curating their products and seek to establish fair relationships with small producers. “Viche is the result of the cultural knowledge of the Pacific,” he says.

He also admits that at first it was difficult to sell this beverage to a public that was unfamiliar with or unfamiliar with it. However, since the opening of Petronio, he says, there has been greater acceptance and interest in viche and its importance to Afro-Colombian communities.

"We must continue inviting Colombians to consume Colombia, to carry our flag elsewhere, and not just import cultures and cuisines from other countries," he concludes.

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - LIFE TODAY EDITORIAL - @ANS0614