At Ocotea Boutique Hotel, every sip, every raised glass, and every special moment tells a story.
On our Monteverde Rooftop, where the clouds roll in and out, and the evening light turns to gold, our guests often gather for an evening ritual that’s as Costa Rican as pura vida itself: a glass of Centenario Rum. Smooth, amber, and alive with local history, it’s a drink that captures the spirit of our nation in a single sip.
Because in Costa Rica, rum isn’t just a drink. It’s a legacy of craft, community, and celebration: a spirit that connects the fertile valleys of San José with the mist-cloaked peaks of Monteverde.
Centenario Rum has been woven into the fabric of Costa Rican life since 1981, when the first barrels were filled. Created in the Central Valley just a few hours from Monteverde, this is what’s affectionately known as el ron de Costa Rica – “the rum of Costa Rica” – and proudly carries that title around the world.
The brand’s origins are humble but inspired: the idea to age Costa Rican rum with Scottish malts and in oak barrels once used for Scotch whisky. The result was revolutionary: a rum that inherited the smoothness and depth of fine whisky while retaining the natural sweetness of sugarcane and the purity of mountain spring water.
Today, Ron Centenario’s distillery rests at 1,200 meters (about 4,000 feet) above sea level, surrounded by Costa Rica’s rivers, volcanoes, and forests. Here, in the cool air and perfect humidity, barrels slowly age beneath the watchful eye of their master blender. It’s a process they call “Aged by Nature,” and the result is both a must-sip experience and unmistakably Costa Rican: patient, balanced, and alive with the taste of our lands.
For the rum aficionados among us, you’ll be interested to learn that Centenario uses two traditional methods of aging: the Solera system, for its premium rums, and the classic barrel aging process for its younger selections.
In the Solera system, barrels are stacked in cascading tiers, each level holding rums of different ages. As the liquid moves downward, young and mature spirits blend, sharing depth, aroma, and color. The final result is drawn only from the lowest tier – the solera, or the soul of the rum – creating a rich, complex blend that embodies harmony and patience.
The barrels themselves tell a story, too. Each one once cradled Scotch whisky before being filled with Centenario’s golden spirit. Over time, the oak has learned to breathe with the rhythm of Costa Rica’s own highland climate – expanding by day, contracting by night – and infusing the rum with subtleties of toffee, spice, and toasted wood.
To taste Centenario on our Monteverde Rooftop is to sample Costa Rica’s balance of character and calm. Smooth yet structured, elegant yet approachable, every pour carries a whisper of the mountains.
Our talented bartender and mixologist can recommend the perfect choice, but as an introduction, Centenario 20 offers a blend of honeyed fruit and vanilla, perfect for sipping neat or over ice. Their 25-year-old rum carries notes of toffee and oak with a hint of tobacco, while the limited Centenario 30 introduces an almost cognac-like depth, velvety and layered with dried fig, caramel, and warm spice.
Even their lighter expressions, such as Centenario 7 or 9, bring a bright, tropical energy ideal for mixing: the foundation for some of our favorite Ocotea cocktails, from classic daiquiris to bold rum sours kissed with fresh Monteverde lime.
At Nectandra Restaurant, Centenario Rum takes on a refined culinary role. Enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail or an after-meal digestif alongside locally inspired cuisine, where every pairing reflects the balance of Costa Rica’s flavors: bright, natural, and deeply rooted in place. Our restaurant’s warm ambiance and garden views make it an inviting setting for slow, savoring moments.
Just upstairs, our Monteverde Rooftop offers a completely different experience: a dedicated bar and lounge experience, led by Ocotea’s talented mixologist, where creativity flows as freely as the drifting mist. Here, Centenario shines both on its own and in signature cocktails; ask our mixologist for our current menu of creations!
And if you’re here for one of our mixology experiences, you’ll also be able to go beyond the glass: Learn the craft behind Costa Rican spirits and cocktails, exploring the flavors, stories, and artistry that define our modern mixology.
What makes Centenario so quintessentially Costa Rican isn’t just how it’s made, but what it represents: connection. Join us in celebrating the hands that harvest the sugarcane, the artisans who char the barrels, and the families who raise a glass at life’s milestones.
That same philosophy also inspires our work at Ocotea Boutique Hotel. Just as Centenario honors nature’s role in creation, we honor it in every part of our guest experience, from sustainable architecture to locally inspired cuisine and cocktails. Each detail, each flavor, is a reflection of the land we call home.
There’s a moment that happens on the rooftop, the kind that words can barely capture. Heavy mist rolls in, or perhaps the sky fades from pink to indigo. The forest begins its evening chorus. A glass catches the light, amber against the fading light. Let that first sip of Centenario Rum – sweet, wild, alive – inspire you.
For us at Ocotea Boutique Hotel, that’s the essence of travel: discovering a place not just through its views, but through its stories, its people, and its flavors. Centenario Rum is one of those stories: a spirit aged by nature, crafted by Costa Rica, and best enjoyed right here, where the clouds meet the forest.
Every sip tells a story. Together, let’s raise a glass to the journey.