You don’t need a plane ticket to Peru anymore, as COYA, a must-visit for luxury dining in Abu Dhabi, has found a way to serve it by the glass. Earlier this month, the restaurant’s acclaimed Pisco Bar debuted The Spirits of Peru: Madre Tierra, the first chapter of a Global Bar Menu series. It’s a trip through the country’s most iconic landscapes, told through cocktails (and yes, it’s coming to the brand’s locations worldwide, from Mayfair to Monte Carlo).
Madre Tierra centres on Camila de Quilla, a modern explorer retracing her Peruvian heritage. Her journey from the Pacific coast to the Andean highlands and deep into the Amazon serves as the blueprint for each drink. Through Camila’s journal, COYA translates personal discoveries into a sensorial experience that spans sour citrus, earthy umami, bold spices, and refreshing herbal notes.
Guests can follow her route starting from La Costa, Peru’s coastline, with concoctions like La Mar, Agua de Chifa, Donna Luisa, and Chuno (exclusive to COYA Dubai) that offer a bright, savoury freshness. Moving up to La Sierra, the Andean highlands, drinks such as Arcoíris, La Rueda, Divino, and Earl of Agave mirror the “warmth, altitude, and strength of the mountains”, as the restaurant puts it. The journey finishes in La Selva, the Amazon rainforest, where Tesoro del Campo, Coco y Choclo, Hay-Agua-Ska, and Hualo translate the verdant splendour of the rainforest into herbal, fruity, and refreshing cocktails.
Madre Tierra features twelve alcoholic cocktails — nine global signatures and three UAE exclusives — plus four non-alcoholic creations, all carrying COYA’s trademark attention to detail. At the core are the brand’s homemade Pisco infusions, timeless nods to the Peruvian high-proof, aromatic grape brandy.
Behind the scenes, COYA’s UAE-based bar team, led by Grégoire Schnerb, Head of Mixology, and Sany Bacsi, Global Bar Manager, spent months exploring native ingredients and techniques. “This menu is an invitation to explore Peru through the senses, while staying true to the soul of the Pisco Bar and COYA’s heritage,” noted Bacsi.
What sweetens the deal even further is the fact that this is only the beginning. Each year, the restaurant’s Global Bar Menu will continue to evolve, bringing fresh interpretations and new narratives to the Pisco Bar. For now, though, Madre Tierra asks only that you pick a cocktail, raise your glass, and let Peru come to you.
Find out more on COYA Abu Dhabi’s website.