Starting this week we will make a journey through the best cocktails of South America. We will discover their origins and why they are so famous. Also we will learn how to make some delicious concoctions. I know you are anxious to depart, so let’s go!! Have a safe trip!!

1. Chuflay

The national liquor in Bolivia is Singani. This tasteful liquor is a wine brandy, meaning that it is made by the distillation of wine. Only the Muscat grapes of Alexandria are used in this process. In 1992 Singani received the domain of origin (DO) classification, and the geographical indication (GI). The specific valleys and regions in southern Bolivia where it must be produced are Potosi, Tarija, Chuquisaca, and the department of La Paz. The grapes cultivation started in the 16th century, brought by the missionaries who accompanied the Spanish settlers. Initially thought to produce wine, but due to the climate it was not a great success. Later to fix this problem it was transformed into a liquor. With Singani as a base many drinks were created  through the years. In the 19th century Chuflay was born. When the English expatriates were building the railways they used to drink Gin with ginger ale. Gin was hard to find so they replaced it with Singani, naming the new concoction Shoofly. Later Shoofly became the famous Chuflay, transformed phonetically by the locals. Enough talking, let’s see how this cocktail is made:

2. Pisco sour

The origin of this famous drink is disputed between Peru and Chile. One thing is sure though, tourists fall in love with it’s unique taste. Today we will have to choose one version of the origins of this distinctive drink, so we will go with the most accepted from the public.  In 1903 Victor Vaughen Morris, an American who moved to Peru, opened the Moris Bar in Lima. Mr. Morris first made the drink as a variation of the Whisky Sour. The modern version that we all know was only made in the 1920’s, when bartender Mario Bruige added Angostura bitters and egg white. One would never think that the combination of these ingredients would match up to become such a perfect experience of the right tastes. This delicious cocktail even has a day in the calendar in his honor, Pisco Sour Day, the first Saturday of February. Are you curious yet to see how it is made?

3. Caipirinha

The name of this famous drink means “country little girl”. This is a simple rustic drink, served to refresh. Like many good things, the origin of this drink is not certain. One story tells us that in the 19th century the consumption of cachaça, honey, lime and garlic was widespread to prevent or cure the Spanish flu. After some time, this medicine arrived at the port of Santos. Here people started calling this mix “Caipirinha” because of the main ingredient being cachaca, which usually comes from Piracicaba in the countryside of São Paulo. Cachaça is the spirit of the Brazilian people, it is produced from sugar cane and it is relatively cheap. Brazil has an abundance of fruits and spices, through time many variants of Caipirinha have been invented, adding different ingredients to the lime. There are an infinite number of combinations. Let’s take a look at the original one, and from there you can create your own version.

Drink carefully! See you next week for our new journey!!!