Why a 39-day pop-up bar?
A few people have asked us, politely, if we're sure about the 39 days. The honest answer is: yes. Here's the thinking, and the story of how Bar de Copa 26 got built.
The room
The Kuiperstraat 10 space came up in late 2025. Thirty-eight seats — we counted by chairs the first night. One door onto the hanchi, one back exit into a small courtyard, ceilings that lean a little because the building is old. The previous tenant ran a daytime café; we keep the bones and rearrange the bar.
The menu, on the back of a placemat
Five drinks, written down in a single sitting at Plasa Bieu over keshi yena:
- Oranja Boven — Dutch gin, passion fruit, ginger beer on top.
- Fresh Pitch — vodka, pineapple, cucumber, basil, lime.
- La Bandera — white rum, mango, coconut liqueur, blue curaçao, lime.
- Red Card — whiskey, grapefruit, hibiscus, lime, Angostura.
- Tamarindoooo — tequila, tamarind purée, tamarind liqueur, lime, agave.
Plus two bar snacks built for the drink in your hand: Cajun-style boiled peanuts and fresh popcorn in four flavours. The full menu is here.
Why 39 days
Because we counted the calendar from opening to last night and that's what landed. Because thirty-nine is long enough to find your people but short enough that every shift matters. Because most "permanent" pop-ups quietly become permanent, which is fine, but it isn't what we set out to make.
And because the energy of a season is a thing you can taste. A bar that knows it's only here for 39 nights pours differently than a bar that's still around in three years.
The neighbourhood
We landed on Hanchi Punda specifically because it's the part of Willemstad most people walk through without stopping. The waterfront is the photograph; the alley is the place. Our walking guide is here.
The team
Small. Two bartenders behind the stick, one floor host, one kitchen pass from the spot next door. A couple of guest shifts from bartender friends across the island through the run. Names go on the wall as we go.
What happens after
After the 39th night, we lock up. The space goes back to whoever's renting it next. We disappear. The menu, the recipes, and the stories live on the website for as long as the domain is paid — and we'll write up the season in late summer so it doesn't vanish entirely.
If we do it again — same name, different city, different season — we'll tell you here first.