"mastering the art of cocktail mixing was only half the job - telling a captivating story was just as important"
Condesa Gin Ambassador and Head Bartender at ARCA Tulum.
Mora: Eng: Berry – (ber·ry | \ ˈber-ē \) A small, pulpy, and often edible fruit.
His name started to circulate in London bars around December 2015. “Have you come across this Mexican guy with long hair and a big smile, named after some fruit?” “Yes, something like Strawberry, right?” “Exactly! Berry.” With his charm and quick wit, Carlos Mora, aka Berry, quickly won over anyone who took a seat at his bar.
It was during his time in Europe that he made a discovery: mastering the art of cocktail mixing was only half the job – telling a captivating story was just as important. An avid reader who always traveled with a moth-eared piece of literature, this realization allowed him to intertwine experienced and inherited tales into each one of his offerings: botanicals for new beginnings, tinctures to pair with a bitter twist of fate, and bright creations to accompany the birth of a new resolution. His love for literature found its place alongside his passion for mixology – he had discovered his way of storytelling.
In 2020, with the descending curtain of the global pandemic, Berry felt the world beginning to end when the London bar he regarded as home was forced to shut its doors. Beating a then reluctant retreat to his native Mexico, he landed in Oaxaca – and was newly captivated. At Selva, an iconic bar known for marrying innovation with little-known, local flora, Berry turned his new page. What followed was a chapter of self re-discovery, experimenting with local botanicals, those which, like the ones found in Condesa Gin, blend traditions, and folklore. In this time when the world stopped, Berry brought his art to a new level.
Two years later, like a Mexican Marlow steaming upriver, we find Berry deep within the jungles of Tulum, at a restaurant he would make his home – the culinary outpost, ARCA. This is a place that captures the essence of the earth, bringing out the primal instincts of its patrons – more bare hands, less silverware. ARCA, globally recognized for its exceptional cuisine and mixology, welcomed our explorer and offered him the role of head bartender.
And that’s where he remained, this purposefully wandering soul, stationed behind the tropical bar under the palm trees. As a Condesa Gin Ambassador, he combines stories from his old-world travels, distilled spirits and liquors, and the vibrant botanicals of Mexico. Pull up a seat and enjoy the story.
