Craft Beers and Traditional Drinks in Candelaria

This experience is interesting because it treats Bogotá’s drinks like a cultural map. In just about 3 hours, you move through five stops that connect chicha, coca traditions, and local beer to how people live and celebrate in Candelaria.

I especially like the cultural explanations built into every stop, not just the sampling. I also like the very practical structure: short visits, clear transitions, and familiar local hangouts like Doña Ceci where you can feel the pace of an everyday evening. One consideration: since you’ll be tasting multiple beverages, go with a relaxed pace, and if you do not want alcohol at all, you should check with the guide before you book.

You meet at Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo, right in the Candelaria neighborhood, and you finish back where you started. The tour runs in English, uses a mobile ticket, and keeps groups small (max 15), which makes it easier to ask questions instead of just following along.

Key things to know before you go

• Chicha at The Blessed Chichería, with museum-style context for one of Colombia’s oldest drinks
• Art and indigenous territories at Café Galeria Nuestra Herencia, featuring paintings by Carlos Trilleras
• Coca plant traditions at Embajada de la Coca Candelaria, including tasting chicha varieties and plant or seed-based spirits
• Pick your beer at Doña Ceci, choosing among four local Colombian beers in a real neighborhood bar/tienda
• Finish at Casa Magola with craft beer tasting and a round of tejo, described as a traditional native game

Candelaria in 3 hours, with drinks as the thread

This is a “small hops” kind of tour. Each stop is about 30 minutes, so you get just enough time to learn, taste, and move on without the long, slow museum slog that can drain energy in the late afternoon. Starting at 4:00 pm also helps. You’re not fighting the worst daytime crowds, and the neighborhood shifts into evening as you go.

The heart of the tour is the way the guide connects drinks to place. Chicha is not treated like a novelty shot. Instead, it’s framed as part of Bogotá’s and Colombia’s cultural life. Then you widen the lens from chicha to coca plant traditions, and finally you land in places where beer is part of hanging out after school or work.

The group size matters here. With a maximum of 15 people, you can actually ask things like why a certain ingredient matters, or what a specific tradition means in everyday routines. If you prefer “hands-on learning,” this style fits you.

Price and what you actually get for $60

At $60 per person, the price feels fair when you look at what’s included. Every stop lists an admission ticket included, and the itinerary is built around tasting multiple traditional and craft drinks. You’re not just paying for walking time and someone to point at buildings.

You also get structure, which is worth something in Bogotá. The tour is run by Condor Tours, uses a mobile ticket, and stays scheduled to the order of the five stops. For a first visit to Candelaria, that reduces the mental load of figuring out where to go for chicha, where to find coca-themed learning, and where to experience a more local beer setting.

One practical note: because you’re tasting at several points, you might feel you get more value when you genuinely enjoy trying different beverages. If you want only a single small taste and no other drinks, you may feel the spending stretches a bit.

Stop 1: The Blessed Chichería and why chicha matters

Your first stop is The Blessed Chichería, a traditional ancestral museum focused on chicha. You’ll learn its history, and you’ll also get the cultural angle: why this drink is important for the city and for Colombia.

What I like about starting here is pacing. Before you taste anything else, you get a foundation. That means later stops about coca traditions and regional spirits won’t feel random. Instead, you’ll be able to connect the dots between old drink traditions and local identity.

What to expect in the museum portion:

• A guided explanation around what chicha represents culturally
• Time to understand the role it plays in Bogotá and the broader country
• Admission ticket included, about 30 minutes

Possible drawback: museum time can feel a little “formal” compared with the bars later on. If you prefer learning only through casual conversation, this first stop may feel more structured than you’d hoped. Still, it sets you up well for the tastings that follow.

Stop 2: Café Galeria Nuestra Herencia, Carlos Trilleras, and craft drinks

Next you go to Café Galeria Nuestra Herencia. This is where the tour links visual art to drink culture. You’ll explore through paintings by Carlos Trilleras and learn how craft drinks connect to Colombia’s territories and indigenous communities.

This is a smart mid-tour shift. After the chicha foundation, the artwork helps you understand that “traditional” is not one single thing. It varies by place, by community, and by regional identity.

What makes this stop useful:

• You connect culture to geography through art by Carlos Trilleras
• You see how craft drinks reflect different indigenous territories and communities
• It’s another short 30-minute segment with admission included

Possible drawback: if you are not a fan of art galleries, you might have wanted more time for the beverage side. The upside is that the gallery is not the whole point. It’s used as a lens for understanding drink traditions.

Stop 3: Embajada de la Coca Candelaria, cosmology, and tasting variety

At Embajada de la Coca Candelaria, you switch from the general story of chicha to something more specific and culturally rooted. The focus is the importance of the coca plant in Andean communities, both in diet and in cosmology.

Then the tasting section expands. You’ll try different types of chicha, plus other spirit drinks made with seeds and plants from the regions where people live.

I really like this stop because it deals with a topic that many visitors misunderstand when they only hear headlines. Here, the emphasis is on how coca fits into everyday diet and belief systems within Andean culture. Even if you are not sure what to expect, the tour frames it in a way that feels respectful and grounded.

What to expect:

• Learning about coca’s role in diet and cosmology
• Tastings that go beyond one drink type
• About 30 minutes with admission included

Possible consideration: because tastings include multiple beverage types, the flavors may be unfamiliar. If you are sensitive to unusual botanical flavors or strong fermented notes, go slow. Take sips, not gulps. You have enough time across the route to pace yourself.

Stop 4: Doña Ceci, choose between four local Colombian beers

After the more “learning-forward” stops, you hit Doña Ceci. This is the social moment of the tour. You’ll choose between four local Colombian beers, and you’ll be in a very typical bar/tienda environment where locals share after classes or work and listen to music.

This stop matters because it changes the emotional tone. You’re not in a learning room anymore. You’re in a place where beer is tied to real hangout rhythms, not just a historic narrative.

What makes it practical:

• You get a choice among four local beers, which helps you find a style you like
• You experience a neighborhood bar/tienda setting instead of a tourist-only venue
• Another 30-minute stop with admission included

Possible drawback: Doña Ceci is described as a typical local meeting place with music. If you prefer quiet conversation, you might need to lean closer to the guide at certain moments.

Stop 5: Casa Magola, craft beer tasting, and tejo

The tour closes at Casa Magola, at the host’s house. This is where you get another craft beer tasting, plus a game called tejo.

The tour describes tejo as the only native game that ancestors played for centuries. Even if you have never heard of it, the fact that it is treated as a traditional game gives the ending a cultural payoff. You’re not only trying drinks. You’re doing something local and physical.

What to expect at the finish:

• A craft beer tasting at a local home setting
• Playing tejo as a final activity
• The tour returns to the meeting point afterward

Possible consideration: by the last stop, you’ve already had several tastes. If you want to play tejo, keep an eye on how you feel. In other words, enjoy the beer, but pace it so you have energy for the game.

The value beyond the drinks

A lot of Bogotá drink tours stop at sampling. This one tries to do more. It keeps reminding you that beverages are part of identity, diet, community practices, and social life.

That is why the best parts of the tour are the cultural explanations paired with tastings, and the way Candelaria feels less like a postcard and more like an active neighborhood. The five stops also cover different angles:

• A museum approach to chicha
• Art and indigenous territories through Carlos Trilleras
• Coca plant traditions and regional spirits
• Real local beer culture at Doña Ceci
• A home setting finish with craft beer and tejo

You also get a good mix of “sit and listen” and “stand, taste, and move.” That matters on a 3-hour timeline. You avoid spending the whole time in one place.

Who this tour is for

This tour is a strong match if:

• You want culture connected to food and drink, not just tasting for tasting’s sake
• You like trying different beverages and comparing styles
• You enjoy small-group tours where questions feel natural
• You want a guided way to understand Candelaria beyond the main streets

It may be less ideal if:

• You prefer zero alcohol experiences, since the tour includes multiple tastings
• You want long stays at fewer places, rather than short 30-minute stops
• You dislike places with music or lively local energy, since Doña Ceci includes that vibe

Things to do to make it better for yourself

Because you’re tasting at multiple stops, you’ll have a better time if you plan around it:

• Go in with a relaxed mindset. This is not a speed-run.
• Pace your tastes across the route.
• If you have strong preferences, think about that before the beer choice at Doña Ceci.
• Wear comfortable shoes for walking between stops in Candelaria.

Also, since the tour is in English, it’s a good pick if you want cultural context without needing Spanish every minute. Still, basic curiosity helps, even if your Spanish is limited.

Should you book Craft Beers and Traditional Drinks in Candelaria?

If you’re visiting Bogotá and want a route that explains why these drinks matter as much as what you’re tasting, book it. The structure is efficient, the small group size makes it interactive, and the itinerary balances museum learning with real social settings, then ends with tejo.

I’d skip it only if you want a strictly non-alcohol tasting experience or you dislike music and bar atmosphere. If you’re open to trying chicha varieties, learning coca plant traditions, choosing among local beers, and finishing with a traditional game, this is one of the more memorable ways to see Candelaria in a short evening.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The Craft Beers and Traditional Drinks in Candelaria tour lasts about 3 hours.

What does it cost?

It costs $60.00 per person.

Where do I meet, and where does it end?

You meet at Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo, Cl. 12b #2-98, Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia, and the tour ends back at the meeting point.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 15 people.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel for a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time. Cancellation is free, and changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted.