12 Amazing Cocktails from Latin & South America

Blueberry batida

Being in lockdown has led me to some interesting new hobbies - my favorite of which is cocktail making. Each weekend we generally hop on a zoom call with friends to play games or just hang out virtually - each with a beverage of our choice. And since my Friday evenings aren’t filled with getting ready or pregaming, I’ve had ample time to take mixology classes and play around with recipes.

Food and drink are a wonderful way to connect with local culture on your travels - and have always been a big focus of my explorations. From distillery tours to cooking classes, I often weave these sorts of experiences into my trips. I love gaining a deeper understanding of what the locals order - and following their lead! When I was in Brazil - I drank caipirinha, when in Mexico - I drank margaritas, etc.

Since most of us are grounded at the moment, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of cocktails from around the world - listing the ingredients and explaining how to make each - in hopes that this will lead you to embark on a libation tour of the world, right from your own kitchen! I’m starting with Latin and South America, as some of my all time favorites come from this part of the world.

Let me know if you end up making any of these and which are YOUR favorites!!

The tangy Paloma drink stems from Mexico

1. Paloma - Mexico

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 or 2 oz 100% Agave tequila, blanco or reposado

• 2-3 oz Grapefruit soda

• Half a Lime

• Salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Run the cut edge of the lime around the rim of a tall glass and roll it in kosher salt.

• Squeeze the lime into the glass. 

• Add the tequila and fill the glass three-quarters of the way with ice. 

• Add the squeezed-out lime shell. 

• Stir, add the Squirt or whatever grapefruit soda you like, and stir again briefly. 

Tropical, fruity Macua is the national drink of Nicaragua

2. Macua - Nicaragua

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 oz Flor de Caña 4-Year-Old Rum

• 1 oz Guava juice

• 1 oz Orange juice

• 1/2 oz Lemon juice

• 3/10 oz Simple syrup

• Garnish: Orange slice

• Garnish: Candied cherry

DIRECTIONS:

• Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.

• Shake well for 20 to 30 seconds.

• Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice.

• Garnish with an orange slice and a candied cherry.

The Monkey Lala is a creamy, delicious, dessert-like drink found in Honduras

3. Monkey Lala - Honduras

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 oz vodka

• 1 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur

• 4 oz half-and-half

• 1 scoop ice cream

• 2 oz cream of coconut

• Garnish: chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS:

• Fill blender with ice.

• Add vodka, Kahlua, coconut cream, half & half to the blender.

• Blend and serve.

• Optional: Add chocolate syrup

Canelazo is a spiced rum (or aguardiente if you’re in South America) drink served warm - it can be found throughout Colombia, Peru, northern Argentina, and Ecuador.

4. Canelazo - Ecuador

INGREDIENTS:

*Makes 4 Servings

• 3 cups water

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar

• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 lime (juiced)

• Pinch of salt

• 1 teaspoon whole cloves

• 4 to 6 cinnamon sticks

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 4 ounces (or more to taste) aguardiente or rum

DIRECTIONS:

• Bring the water, both kinds of sugar, lime juice, salt, cloves, and cinnamon sticks to a boil.

• Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

• Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice.

• Add the aguardiente or rum, to taste.

• Reheat without boiling. If it boils, the alcohol will boil away.

• Strain and serve hot.

Pisco Sour is considered the national drink of Peru and it even has its own national holiday - Pisco Sour Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in February!

5. Pisco Sour - Peru

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 ounces pisco

• 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice

• 3/4 ounce simple syrup

  • Instructions to make at home: In a jar, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup superfine sugar. Seal jar and shake until sugar is completely dissolved. Keep remainder refrigerated.

• 1 fresh egg white

• 1 dash Angostura or Amargo bitters

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine pisco, lime, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker without ice and seal.

• Shake vigorously until egg white is foamy, about 10 seconds.

• Add ice to shaker and shake again very hard until well-chilled, about 10 seconds.

• Strain into chilled cocktail glass; dash bitters atop the egg-white foam.

Chuflay is the signature cocktail of Bolivia, made from their national liquor, Singani.

6. Chuflay - Bolivia

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz. Singani (Bolivian grape brandy)

• 7 oz. ginger ale

• Slices of lime

• A few drops of lime juice (optional)

• Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

• Place two ice cubes at the bottom of the glass.

• Pour the singani, then the ginger ale.

• Add a few drops of lime (optional).

• Add 1 slice of lime into the drink.

Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail, made from Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage - cachaca. Simple, limey, delicious!

7. Caipirinha - Brazil

INGREDIENTS:

• Lime, cut into wedges

• 2 tsp sugar

• 2 oz cachaca (can also substitute rum)

• Garnish: Lime wheel

DIRECTIONS:

• In a glass, muddle the sugar and lime.

• Fill with ice, add the cachaça, and stir briefly.

• Garnish with a lime wheel (optional).

The creamy, fruity Batida is from Brazil. And it’s name literally translated to “milkshake” - so you KNOW It’s going to be delicious!

8. Batida - Brazil

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup ice

• 2 ounces cachaça (or rum if you can’t find)

• 1/2 ounce coconut milk

• 1/2 ounce lime juice

• 1 ounce passionfruit syrup

• Garnish: Pineapple leaf

• Garnish: Grated nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

9. Mojito - Cuba

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 fresh mint leaves

• ½ lime, cut into 4 wedges

• 2 tablespoons white sugar, or to taste

• 1 cup ice cubes

• 1 ½ fluid ounces white rum

• ½ cup club soda 

DIRECTIONS:

• Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass.

• Use a muddler to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice.

• Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture.

• Fill the glass almost to the top with ice.

• Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with carbonated water.

• Stir, taste, and add more sugar if desired. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.

One of my all time favorite vacation drinks Is the Pina Colada! Fittingly, it comes from my grandmother’s home of Puerto Rico!

10. Pina Colada - Puerto Rico

INGREDIENTS:

*Makes 4 servings

• 3 cup ice

• 1 cup diced pineapple, frozen

• 4 ounces pineapple juice

• 4 ounces Coco Lopez coconut cream

• 3 ounces white rum

• 2 ounce dark rum

• Pineapple slices

DIRECTIONS:

• Put the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums into a blender.

• Blend until smooth and frosty.

• Pour the drink into 4 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.

11. Coco Loco - Colombia

INGREDIENTS:

*Makes 4 servings

• ¼ cup rum

• ¼ cup vodka

• ¼ cup tequila

• 2 cups coconut cream

• 1 cup coconut water

• Juice of 3 limes

• 4 cups of ice (midway on whatever glass you’re serving)

• Lime slices to serve

DIRECTIONS:

• Put all the ingredients, except for lime slices, in a blender, and blend until smooth.

• Pour into 4 glasses. Add limes to garnish.

One of my all-time favorites. There is never a bad time for Margaritas!

12. Margarita - Mexico

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz Blanco tequila

• 1 oz Fresh lime juice

• 1/2 oz Orange liqueur

• 1/2 oz Agave syrup

• Garnish: Lime wheel

• Garnish: Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.

• Strain into the prepared rocks glass over fresh ice.

• Garnish with a lime wheel and kosher salt (optional).