In the corner of Adios, vibrant marigolds are strung together and draped over an ofrenda, where photographs, candles, and skulls create a space dedicated to remembering loved ones who have died. The permanent altar at the Mexico City-inspired cocktail bar in downtown Birmingham invites guests to leave mementos of the people and animals they miss, offering a place to return to throughout the year.
(Adios/Contributed)
The ofrenda invites guests to bring mementos of the people and animals they miss, creating a place to remember them throughout the year. It also reflects the meaning behind Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of those who have died and the enduring bonds between the living and the dead.
José Medina Camacho, co-founder and beverage director of Adios, came to understand that meaning through his own experiences with loss.
“Growing up, my family didn’t talk about death much, and when they did, they treated it like the end of the world,” he said. “I’ve always been the one who questions everything, and I questioned this too. Through that, I came to see that death isn’t something to be afraid of. It’s part of the circle of life.”
Around that same time, Camacho’s grandfather passed away. He was heartbroken, but the loss also prompted him to look back on their relationship and the memories that would stay with him forever.
“I was sad, but it also made me reflect on all the great times we shared. Now it’s my favorite time of year,” he said.
That shift in perspective informs the way Adios celebrates Día de los Muertos. Co-founded by Camacho, the bar was built around honoring authentic Mexican spirits and traditions while creating a space where guests can experience Mexican culture beyond a single holiday.
“Día de los Muertos is not just a holiday. It’s our culture celebrating our loved ones and all people and animals who are no longer on this earth,” Camacho said.
Alma Nueva (Adios/Contributed)
At Adios, that celebration takes shape through the ofrenda, the community that gathers around it, and a seasonal collection of cocktails inspired by the holiday.
The seasonal menu includes Chente, made with reposado tequila, Spanish vermouth, and chile pasilla liqueur; Alma Nueva, a combination of rum, pumpkin, apple cider, and lemon; and Rivera’s Old Fashioned, featuring apple brandy, Scotch, amaretto, and an orange twist.
The drinks bring seasonal ingredients and spirits together in a menu that complements the bar’s broader commitment to Mexican culture and tradition. Camacho’s approach to hospitality earned national recognition in 2025, when he became a James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Beverage Service.
The ofrenda, however, remains a central part of the experience at Adios long after the seasonal cocktails have come and gone. Guests can return to it whenever they want a place to remember someone they have lost, making remembrance part of the everyday life of the bar.
In doing so, Adios offers a different way to think about grief: not as something that must remain separate from daily life, but as something that can coexist with gathering, celebration, and the joy of remembering the people who helped shape us.
Make it at home: Rivera’s Old Fashioned
José Medina Camacho shares the recipe for this Día de los Muertos-inspired cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz. apple brandy
- 0.5 oz. Scotch
- 0.25 oz. amaretto (Caffo)
- 0.25 oz. Demerara syrup
- 2 dashes chocolate bitters (Angostura)
Method
Stir all ingredients together. Serve over ice and garnish with an expressed orange twist.
Rivera’s Old Fashioned (Adios/Contributed)
