Alfredo Climaco, the Owner of New Cocktail Bar Tropicale, Has Died Climaco — known for his warmth, determination, and lively cocktails — died from complications related to COVID-19 Share this story Christine Dong / Official Alfredo Climaco, the owner of the new Latin American cocktail bar Tropicale, has died of complications related to coronavirus. Climaco had just opened Tropicale, his first brick-and-mortar bar, last year. He was 32. Climaco was raised in Puebla, Mexico, where he developed a love for bartending and service. In an August conversation, he recalled memories of drinking piña coladas out of hollowed out pineapples as a teenager, which became one of his signature drinks as a bar owner and bartender. He started working at a nightclub at 17, where he learned the basics of bartending. “I fell in love with certain aspects of the service industry,” he said in August. “I like how rewarding it is to make people feel happy.”