Drinks Around the World

Whether you’re trying to impress clients or you just want to sample the local flavor, it’s good to know about the local drinks in a place you visit. You can even host an around-the-world cocktail party at home, and wow your guests with the exotic flavors you serve. I like booze, as do most business travelers, so I’ve decided to put together a compilation of my local favorites from around the globe. Take a peek at the following, to get an idea of what to look for at happy hour in your next business travel destination.

Calimocho

The Calimocho hails from Spain. It is by far the easiest drink to mix up on this list, consisting of only two key ingredients. I’m sure you’re skeptical, but I drank quite a lot of this beverage in Salamanca and it’s quite good.

Recipe

Red Wine
Coca Cola

Mix the two ingredients in approximately equal proportions and drink up.

Mojitos

By now everyone in the U.S. know what a Mojito is, but it can still add some local flavor to an event. The drink originated in Cuba, so U.S. business travelers won’t have much opportunity to drink it in its motherland.

Recipe

Clear Rum
Fresh Lime
Fresh Mint
Sugar
Club Soda

Pour your size shot of rum in to the club soda. Add crushed fresh mint, squeezed lime and sugar. Shake it, shake it and drink. Mmmmm.

Mojito Jello Shots

Fresh mint
Lime Jello
Clear Rum
Sugar

Boil water with sprigs of fresh mint and add rum. Use the water to the lime Jello, with just enough sugar to sweeten the deal. Prepare according to Jello recipe.

Pimms

Pimms is a liqueur that is popular in both the United Kingdom and Australia. It’s definitely a summer time, sitting by the pool type of drink. Very tasty.

Recipe

Pimms
Sprite
Citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime)

Mix it like you would any cocktail, add the squeezed fruit and enjoy.

El Macuá

This drink is fabulous and totally off the radar. I discovered it in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua and fell in love instantly. It’s one of the many reasons Nicaragua is now my second favorite country.

Recipe

White rum
Guava juice
Lemon juice
Sugar

Mix one part rum with one part guava juice. Add as much lemon juice as you like. You can serve this drink either over ice or frozen, though I much prefer the frozen version.

Pisco Sours

Pisco sours originated in the Pisco region of Peru. It’s a tasty drink that I enjoyed very much at the high altitude locations of Cuzco and Lake Titicaca.

Recipe

2 oz Pisco
1 oz Lemon juice
1-2 tblsp Sugar
Ice

Shake it like a Polaroid picture and enjoy the South American flavor.

Caipirinha

This is a Brazilian concoction that is easier to drink than to say. It’s super sweet, super potent, and reminiscent of a margarita.

Recipe

2.5 oz cachaca (the booze in this drink)
2 tsp granulated sugar
8 limes wedges

Crush the limes, add the booze and sugar, mix well and pour over ice.

Bushwackers

Bushwackers are a reason to visit North Florida all by themselves. This incredible blended concoction even has a whole festival in its honor, held each year in August. Unfortunately, they’re much more difficult to prepare than the drinks listed above. Bushwackers are a tasty, dessert-y drinks, but you can tell by the ingredients they pack a punch.

Recipe

1/2 oz. clear rum
1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Bailey’s
1/2 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. amaretto liqueur (any brand)
1/2 oz. chococo chocolate-flavored liqueur
1/2 oz. Frangelica (optional) [That’s the one with the bottle that looks like Aunt Jemima – HEHE!]
1/2 oz. creme de coconut
1 cup of ice (more or less to make the proper consistency)
grated nutmeg
whipped cream
maraschino cherry

Blend it all together and put the whipped cream, nutmeg and cherry on top.

If you can’t tell, I’m quite a rum fan. You can find fancier versions of the cocktails at fine drinking establishments, but the above should give you some idea of the basics. If you have any other favorite drinks from around the globe, I’d love to hear about them!