The Canchánchara…
My favourite cocktail—born in the colonial town of Trinidad, Cuba.
Spend a day wandering the old town and let it transport you to another era. An era of cobbled streets, horse-drawn carriages, and grand 19th-century Spanish mansions. Add a few slightly rum-intoxicated mulattos swinging their hips to rhythmic conga beats in the sweltering late afternoon heat, and you’ve got yourself the perfect Cuban cliché—which, quite truthfully, isn’t too far off from reality.
I’m not planning a return to Cuba anytime soon, but I’m definitely craving a taste of that Cuban passion and fierceness. So today, I’m turning the salsa music up full blast and making my go-to cocktail. It’s fast, easy, and ridiculously good. Care to join me?
WHAT YOU’LL NEED (makes 1 glass)
- 5 cl Rum
- 1.5 cl lime juice (approx. juice of 1 lime)
- 1.5 cl honey (approx. 1 tablespoon)
- a handful of crushed ice
- soda water to top off
The original recipe calls for raw rum (aguardiente), but white rum works just fine. Prefer it sweeter or more sour? Adjust the lime-honey ratio to your taste.
PREPARATION
- Mix the lime and the honey in a glass until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Add your shot of rum
- Fill the glass with (crushed) ice
- Top off with a dash of sparkling water
TIP: Making cocktails for a group? Prepare a batch of the honey-lime mix in advance and keep it in a bottle or container. This way, topping up everyone’s drink is a breeze—just pour in the mix, add rum, ice, and soda. Easy, festive, and efficient.
There you have it—a delicious canchánchara for a passionate Friday evening!
¡Salud!
A special toast to my father’s birthday!Â
What is your favourite cocktail?
The post “Canchánchara: Cuban Cocktail Recipe” first appeared on Travel Cake.
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