Dr. Yamil Rivera Colón spends his days operating on spines at the Puerto Rico Spine Center. His brother Héber is a chemist and owner of a CrossFit gym in Bayamón. Neither had any experience distilling alcohol, but 5 years ago the brothers from Naranjito created Espalda con Espalda, the first Puerto Rican gin made to accompany a plate of roast pork, with a goal that goes beyond cocktails:
"We want gin to be like Medalla, so that people say I'm going to Puerto Rico and I have to drink an Espalda con Espalda." Yamil told Platea during the latest episode of Punto Aparte.
Although the idea of distilling gin came up in Madrid, when at a bar specializing in gin Yamira, Yamil's wife, suggested creating a similar concept on the Island, Espalda con Espalda has its soul in Naranjito, in the memory of the brothers' father.
Their father, a veteran, came back from the Vietnam War at 25 with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Loud noises, like firecrackers, would send him back to the front without warning. One night at a dance, fear pinned him against a wall and he wanted to leave, but his younger brother, who is also named Héber, preferred to stay. So instead of arguing, he offered a deal: "Put your back to my back, I'll watch that way and you watch this way," Yamil recalled his uncle telling his father that night.
"Take care of your own. Espalda con espalda isn't a phrase, it's a way of life," Héber explained. The Rivera Colón family group chat is even called "E con E."
The first home tests began in 2021. Today, the first gin produced on the Island is made at Destilería Cruz in Jayuya in batches of 1,200 bottles. They have already produced more than 10,000 units. The gin reached the market in March of 2025, and in October of that same year V. Suárez contacted the brothers to handle distribution.
After five years, the brothers feel proud of the evolution of a brand that was born by chance:
"We are from here. I think Puerto Ricans are very proud people, proud of who we are. For me it is something very nationalistic, that this was made here, and carrying that pride, and knowing that it can be done."
How is the gin made?
Espalda con Espalda is made from a neutral alcohol derived from rum, into which botanicals and local oranges are infused to give it its characteristic flavor. After the infusion, the mixture goes through a single distillation, a step that retains the oils and aromas of those ingredients in the final distillate.
The result comes out of the still at between 81 and 90 percent alcohol, which is then diluted with water before bottling, with no added sugar or additional flavors.
The flavor. It is a tropicalized gin. It tastes smooth with citrus notes from the peel of local oranges: "We're going to try to make it a clean, smooth gin, not a complex one, because there are gins that can have forty-something botanicals," Héber says of what they had in mind before creating it.
The future. The brothers are considering a third production run, becoming the top-selling gin on the Island, and opening their own distillery. They also see the product's growth as a broader opportunity to educate Puerto Rican consumers.
"I think there is room to grow, and for people to learn how to drink it and enjoy it, because a lot of people don't know what gin is, how gin is made, where gin comes from," Yamil says.
Recipes you can make using Espalda con Espalda
Espresso Martini
2 oz. Espalda con Espalda
1 oz. espresso coffee
1 oz. coffee liqueur
1 oz. maple syrup
Negroni
1 oz. E con E gin
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. sweet vermouth
Orange peel garnish
Margarita
1 oz. E con E
1 oz. orange liqueur
1 oz. lime juice
Lemon peel garnish
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
