It is exciting to see how many Latin cocktails have become mainstream in bars, cocktail lounges, and restaurants. You probably already know them: Mojito, Cuba Libre, Caipirinha, Pisco Sour (Peruvian and Chilean versions). General awareness of Latin food, culture, cuisine, wines, and drinks most definitely is on the rise.
However, down in these latitudes, there are more than a dozen “other” cocktails that are consumed in the same or even larger portions than the above mentioned classic drinks. If you are heading to South America look out for these national favourites.
Batida de Maracujá (Brazil) is a heavenly mix of ripe passion fruit and cachaça – the potent sugarcane liquor from Brazil. The recipe also calls for sweetened condensed milk (leite moça). The drink is prepared in a shaker with ice and served in highball cocktail glass. Another common method would be to use a blender and make it a frozen drink or to just blend the ingredients and pour them over ice. To make this a Caipirinha de maracujá, just use sugar or simple syrup to taste instead of the condensed milk. The black seeds of the maracujá make this a beautifully appealing drink.
Caipiroska (Brazil) is a form of Caipirinha prepared with vodka instead of the usual cachaça. It is a popular cocktail in Brazil. It is also commonly known as a Caiprivodka and is generally referred to as such in clubs and bars in Brazil. It has grown in popularity in recent years as access to international vodkas continues to diversify in Brazil.
Cajú Amigo (Brazil), also known as Cajuzinho (Little Cashew), is a Brazilian drink made of cachaça and cashew juice. In some places, a slice of cashew is put in the drinker’s mouth and chewed without swallowing, and a shot of cachaça is drunk straight, swallowing the fruit and the drink at the same time. Not for the faint of hearted.
Canelazo (Ecuador) is a drink that will warm you up on a cold night high in the Ecuadorian mountains. It’s made from brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves, orange and lime juice, and the fiery concoction known as aguardiente (or fire water). Aguardiente is a broad term for high alcohol content beverages distilled from different things. The kind they enjoy in South America is made from cane sugar, so rum makes a great substitute if you can’t find aguardiente. This is a delicious drink to serve to friends on a cold winter’s night.
Chicha (Chile) is made from grapes or apples and drunk during the 18th of September celebrations (National Day). Different areas use different methods and recipes to make chicha. In the south around Puerto Varas, chicha is mostly made out of apples. In the Central Valley with its Mediterranean climate and abundant grapes, grape cider is more common. Don’t be fooled by its delicious, deceptively sweet taste – there’s alcohol in there!
Clericó (Uruguay) is a popular fruity punch consumed in vast measures, much like sangria, during the summer months on the breezy coast of Uruguay. White wine is combined with fruit like bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, or a combo of them all and macerated for a few hours. Served ice cold, after coming out of the hot sun, it tastes like heaven. Places like La Huella in José Ignacio, a hip beach town east of Punta del Este, turn this rustic local drink, into a sublime experience.
Fernet (Argentina) is a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. It is highly popular in Argentina and is often taken as a national beverage. Although originally fernet was mainly served with water or soda, now (since late eighties) the most common preparation is with Coca-Cola. A tall glass with several ice cubes is filled about 1/10th full with Fernet and then Coke is slowly added.
Jote (Chile) is a drink consisting of approximately 50% red wine and 50% cola-based soft drink. The drink is a result of low quality wine, with people preferring to mix it with something more palatable, than consume by itself. The resulting 50-50 mixture is called ‘jote.’
Piscola (Chile) or Combinado Nacional (national mixer) is a highball cocktail, made of pisco and most commonly a cola drink. A piscola may be black or white depending if it is mixed with a cola or ginger ale, nordic, sprite or a similar soft drink. The drink is prepared by filling a highball glass with ice and then adding pisco followed by the soft drink in a proportion ranging from 1:1 to 1:2. Sometimes slices of lemon or lime may be added. Chile celebrates ‘the day of the piscola’ on the 8 February every year.
Quentão (Brazil), which means ‘very hot’ or ‘big hot one,’ is a hot Brazilian drink made of cachaça and spices. It is often served during Festa Junina. The sugar is first caramelized with the spices, ginger and the peels. This mixture is then boiled with water for 10 minutes. The cachaça is added and boiled for another 5 minutes. It is very common in southernmost parts of Brazil to substitute the primary ingredient of Quentão, cachaça, for red wine, due to this region being the largest wine producer in Brazil.
Terremoto (Chile) or Pipeño is a type of sweet fermented wine with pineapple ice-cream served in a one-litre glass. Terremoto literally translates as ‘Earthquake’ since you are left with the ground (and legs) feeling very shaky. The next round usually contains the same drink though only in a glass that holds half a litre. This is called a Replica or ‘aftershock’. This famous drink originated at a well-known eating establishment/bar in Santiago called El Hoyo (literally translated as The Hole or Pit).
Vaina (Chile) is a Chilean variation of eggnog. It is a traditional ‘ladies’ drink but men seem to like it too. 2 egg yolks and 1 egg white are blended with port, brandy or cognac, and a touch of cacao. The drink is served with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.