A Vacation for Your Taste Buds, Drink Recipes from Around the World
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You may not be able to travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, but that doesn't mean you can't drink like you're on vacation!
Sick of social isolation? Wanderlust driving you mad? You may not be able to safely go outside, but I’ve put together a mouth-watering collection of 18 signature drinks from around the world. These cocktails (and non-alcoholic beverages) will whisk you away to a land without face masks, constant news updates, or having to home school your ungrateful kids in new math. (Seriously, what is up with math these days?!)
From Singapore to Italy, Argentina to Peru, these 18 international drink recipes will take your mouth on vacation, which to be honest, is a hell of a lot cheaper than taking your whole body, and totally eliminates the possibility of you contracting malaria. You’re welcome.
These are some of the most popular drinks in the world. I’ve even thrown in several non-alcoholic recipes for my readers who can’t mix booze with their medications. I see you, and the struggle is real. But everybody gets a vacation for their taste buds here on Sick Girl Travels. Whoo-hoo!
Some of these classic cocktails and international drinks are quite simple and others will have you whipping out your Instacart app. (Thank goodness for liquor delivery!) But all of them are tastier than just pouring whiskey in your morning coffee and each promises to conjure up images of faraway lands infinitely more exciting than your apartment.
Forget about packing a bag. Let’s get to the international cocktails, mocktails and drinks!
The Brazilian National Cocktail, Caipirinha - A trip to Brazil. No visa needed.
1. Caipirinha - Brazil
The hardest thing about this Brazilian national drink is how to say it. The official Caipirinha pronunciation is: kī-pə-ˈrēn-yə. The good thing about making this drink at home is you don’t need to be able to pronounce Caipirinha to enjoy it.
Most claim the famous Brazilian drink, caipirinha, meaning “Little Peasant Girl,” originated on farms in the São Paulo state and was enjoyed at social gatherings. Others claim it was created as an elixir for those suffering from the Spanish flu. I say if a Cachca Caipirinha was good enough for those going through the Spanish flu then it’s good enough for today’s pandemic. For this recipe, you’ll need Cachaça, a Brazilian rum-like alcohol made from sugar cane.
Authentic Caipirinha Recipe:
Ingredients:
Lime, cut into wedges
2 tsp Sugar
2 oz Cachaça (The best Cachaca for Caipirinha is Leblon)
Garnish: Lime wheel
Steps
!. In a double Old Fashioned glass, muddle the sugar and lime.
2. Fill with ice, add the cachaça, and stir briefly.
3. Garnish with Lime Wheel (optional)
It’s just that easy!
Pisco Sour - A trip to Peru without the altitude adjustment.
2. Pisco Sour: Peru
The Pisco Sour was invented in a Lima bar in the 1920s by ex-pat bartender Victor Vaughen Morris who came to Lima from Utah. Victor created the drink as a riff on the traditional whiskey sour. Personally, I think the best pisco sour recipe is made with with egg white, but you could eliminate the egg if the idea skeeves you out.
Peruvian Pisco Sour Recipe:
Ingredients
2 oz Pisco
1 oz Fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Simple syrup
1 Egg white
Garnish: couple dashes Angostura bitters
Steps
1. Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
2. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice.
3. Garnish with 3 drops of the bitters. Using a straw, swirl the bitters into a simple design.
Pimm’s Cup - there’s a party in my mouth and no one’s invited. #socialdistancing
3. Pimm’s Cup: England
Created by fishmonger James Pimm in the 1840s and marketed as a digestive aid. I know, a fishmonger’s digestive aid sounds super appetizing. But I promise it actually is!
Classic Pimm’s Cup Recipe:
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Pimm's No. 1
1 navel orange, cut crosswise into thin slices
1 lemon, cut crosswise into thin slices
3/4 cup firmly packed mint leaves and tender stems
1 1/2 cups cold ginger ale or lemon-lime soda
1 cucumber, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
About 3 cups ice
1 apple, quartered, cored, and cut into thin slices
Steps
1. In a large pitcher, combine the Pimm's, the orange and lemon slices, and the mint.
2. Chill for about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the ginger ale.
4. Put two cucumber wedges, standing on end, into each of four 1-pint glasses.
5. Fill halfway with ice.
6. Pour in the Pimm's mixture.
7. Push the mint down into the drinks and divide the orange, lemon, and apple slices among the drinks.
Spanish Sangria - a boozy way to increase your daily fruit intake.
4. Sangria: Spain
One of the most consumed drinks in the world, real Sangria most likely dates back to the middle ages, when water was unsafe for human consumption, and alcohol was considered a good source of hydration. The fermented mix of red wine, brandy, and fruit has stood the test of time, and while it won’t hydrate you, it tastes far better than the quickie Capriccio Sangria available at the market.
Traditional Spanish Sangria Recipe:
Ingredients
1 (750-mL.) bottle red wine
1 (12-oz.) can seltzer
1 c. orange juice
1/2 c. brandy
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 orange, sliced
1 apple, sliced
1 c. blueberries
1 c. sliced strawberries
Steps
1. Slice up your fruit
2. Combine the ingredients.
3. Chill for 2-8 hours and enjoy!
It’s Mojito day! Time to get your muddle on.
5. Mojito: Cuba
One of the tastiest and most well-known Cuban cocktails, The Cuban mojito has two rumored origins. Some believe it was created by African slaves who worked the sugar cane fields. Others claim the drink was invented by English pirates who came to Cuba in search of gold. Regardless of its origin, this mint lime drink is one of my favorites and instantly conjures up images of sitting on a tropical beach. For a mojito mocktail, simply eliminate the rum.
Recipe:
Ingredients
2 oz White rum
3 Mint leaves
3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Simple syrup
Club soda, to top
Garnish: Mint sprig
Garnish: Lime wheel
Steps
1. Lightly muddle the mint in a shaker.
2. Add the rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice and give it a brief shake.
3. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice.
4. Top with the club soda.
5. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.
Singapore Sling - A little something for the ladies.
6. Singapore Sling: Singapore
One of the most popular gin cocktails, the original Singapore Sling recipe was invented by a bartender at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel, Singapore. As the Singapore Sling history goes, it was devised to discretely serve alcohol to women who were forbidden from imbibing at bars in the early 1900s. You’ve come a long way baby.
Raffles Singapore Sling Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) gin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons
(1/4 ounce) orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
1 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) cherry liqueur (such as Heering)
1 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) herbal liqueur (such as Bénédictine)
1 dash of bitters
1/4 cup club soda
Garnishes: Orange slices, Maraschino cherries
Steps:
1. Combine the pineapple juice, gin, lime juice, orange liqueur, cherry liqueur, herbal liqueur, and bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Cover and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled, about 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a highball glass.
4. Top with the club soda, and garnish, if desired.
Pina Colada - The international drink of vacation.
7. Piña Colada: Puerto Rico, USA
Credit goes to bartender Ramon Marrero who created this best selling classic cocktail. His fruity coconut milk and pineapple juice drink originated in 1954 while he was working at The Caribe Hilton in San Juan. Marrero experimented with the recipe for three months before settling on the delicious tropical beverage we enjoy today. And really, drinking tons of piña coladas in the name of science is the best possible way to experiment.
Piña Colada Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López)
2 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
8 ounces white rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ounces dark rum (optional)
Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)
Steps:
1. Place pineapple pieces in a resealable plastic bag, laying them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
2. Shake cream of coconut and coconut milk in their cans before measuring.
3. Purée pineapple, cream of coconut, coconut milk, white rum, lime juice, and 3 cups ice (about 15 oz.) in a blender until smooth.
4. Transfer blender cup to the freezer and freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes.
5. Blend again until the mixture is the perfect slushy frozen drink consistency.
6. Divide among glasses.
7. Top off each with ½ oz. dark rum, if using, and garnish each with a cherry and lime wedge.
Perfect Aperol Spritz - A simple, classy drink to make at home for an Aperol Spritz party.
8. Aperol Spritz: Italy
The Aperol Spritz original was created 100 years ago by the Barbieri brothers in Padua, Italy. In the 1950s Aperol made an advertising push to serve the drink “spritz” style (German for “splash.”) By the 2000s the drink had become popular all over the world. See what 50 years of decent advertising can do?
Classic Aperol Spritz Recipe:
Ingredients:
3 ounces prosecco
2 ounces Aperol
1 ounce soda water
Garnish: orange wheel
Steps
1. Add all ingredients into a wine glass with ice and stir.
2. Garnish with an orange wheel and it’s Aperol time!
Beer and Deer - like college all over again.
9. Beer & Deer: Germany
This drink began as a celebratory drink for hunters. And although it conjures up memories of frat parties gone by, it’s a tasty simple drink that’s easy to prepare at home. No need to pull out a juicer and risk getting fresh lemon juice in your eye.
Recipe:
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz chilled Jägermeister
1-pint beer
Steps
1. Start with 1 oz chilled Jägermeister and add your favorite beer on top.
2. Drink up!
Fernet and Coke - another easy drink to make at home.
10. Fernet con Coca: Argentina
Fernet is a liqueur made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits. And if myrrh was good enough for the baby Jesus, then it’s good enough for you! Fernet arrived in Argentina with Italian immigrants at the end of the 19th century. It was traditionally consumed straight as a digestif in Argentina. Coctails wouldn’t enter the picture until years later. In the 1990s Argentinians began consuming Fernet with Coke and the concept of Fernet cocktails was born.
Depending on where you live Fernet alcohol may be difficult to find. But your average BevMo type store should carry it.
Recipe:
When preparing a classic Fernet con cola, people don’t use standard measurements as a bartender might. The drink is traditionally prepared using two ratios 70:30 (Coke: Fernet), and 50:50. People that are accustomed to drinking it at home are used to a stronger pour, but most will prefer a 50:50 mix.
11. Sekanjabin: Iran - NON-ALCOHOLIC
Sekanjabin is the oldest drink on this list. This Iranian tea recipe was first mentioned in the Fihrist of al-Nadim, a tenth-century book, so you know it’s stood the test of time.
This Sekanjabin recipe is based on the recipe in Cariadoc's Miscelleny, a cookbook well-known by medieval historians. It’s a delicious cold ginger drink recipe destined to be both refreshing and good for your stomach.
Sekanjabin Recipe:
Ingredients
4 cups sugar
2-1/2 cups water
1 cup (wine) vinegar
A generous handful of fresh mint
Steps
1. Dissolve the sugar in the water; bring it to a boil.
2. While you're waiting for the mixture to boil tear the mint into small pieces. Since you're boiling it instead of drying it, you can include the fresh young stems at the top of the plant. Discard any leaf or stem that is brown, it will impart a bitter taste to the syrup.
3. When the mixture is boiling, add the mint and the vinegar.
4. Simmer 1/2 hour, remove from the heat and let cool.
5. Strain the syrup into bottles. No refrigeration required.
6. To drink, add one-part syrup to ten parts ice water or hot water. It may be drunk either hot or ice-cold.
Paloma - Forget the Margarita. Taste Mexico’s other insanely popular drink.
12. Paloma Drink: Mexico
This grapefruit soda cocktail is one of the most famous Mexican cocktails. The Paloma drink origin began with the legendary Don Javier Delgado Corona, owner and bartender of La Capilla, in Tequila, Mexico. Often overshadowed by the Margarita, The Paloma is so popular in Mexico it’s also sold in cans. But we’re making ours in a glass, cause we classy.
Paloma Cocktail Recipe:
Ingredients
1 grapefruit wedge
1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup mescal or tequila
1 cup club soda
Steps
1. Pour some kosher salt on a plate.
2. Rub half of the rim of a highball glass with grapefruit wedge; dip the rim of the glass in salt.
3. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sugar in glass; stir until sugar is dissolved.
4. Stir in mescal, add ice, and top off with club soda.
5. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
Watermelon Agua Fresca - Time for a mocktail party! Agua Fresca can be made with multiple fruits, but we’re using watermelon for ours because nothing says summer (of self-isolation) like a refreshing watermelon.
13. Watermelon Agua Fresca – Latin America NON-ALCOHOLIC
Agua Fresca or “fresh waters” are the unofficial thirst quenchers of Latin America. The recipe below is for a delicious watermelon mocktail. If you’d like to turn this into an alcoholic beverage, you can easily add vodka to the finished product. No judgement. Homeschooling is hard and we all gotta make it through this quarantine somehow.
For sugar free mocktails check out this Sparkling Watermelon Agua Fresca recipe.
Watermelon Agua Fresca Recipe: Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds seedless watermelon (1/8th of a good-size watermelon)
1 cup cold water
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup or agave nectar
Instructions:
For the simple syrup:
1. Mix 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup sugar.
2. Bring to boil over medium-low heat and simmer, without stirring, until all sugar is dissolved (about three minutes).
3. Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (lemon basil is perfect because of its fantastic citrus scent, but you could also use regular basil or mint).
4. Let steep for 15 minutes until flavor has infused the syrup.
To make your drink:
1. Blend all ingredients, adjusting sweetness as needed.
2. Strain through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth (optional).
3. Serve over ice.
Mango Lassi -Forget Jamba Juice, this is the original yogurt smoothie.
14. Mango Lassi – India - NON-ALCOHOLIC
The Origin of the Indian lassi drink can be traced back to the state of Punjab. It’s perhaps the first smoothie made with yogurt. This mango lassi recipe is fairly easy, particularly if you prepare it with canned Kesar mangoes. The go-to fruit for a traditional lassi recipe is Kesar mango, but if you want to mix it up, I highly recommend papaya which is a popular choice in Southern India.
Mango Lassi Recipe: Serves 2
Mango Lasi Ingredients:
1 heaping cup fresh mango, cut into rough chunks (preferably Indian Kesar mangoes)
NOTE: If you cannot find Kesar mangoes at your local market, the regular type will do. But I’ve provided you with a link below to purchase Indian mangoes online.
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 heaping tablespoon sugar, honey or agave (I used agave syrup)
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions:
1. Place all your mango lassi ingredients into a blender and pulse until combined.
2. Pour into chilled glasses and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before serving.
Keeps well covered for about a day.
Soda Sua Hôt Gà - dessert in a glass.
15. Soda Sua Hôt Gà (Vietnamese Egg Soda) – Vietnam - NON-ALCOHOLIC
The origin of Soda Sua Hôt Gà may be unknown, but this popular custard-like drink is well known throughout Vietnam and Cambodia. I know, I know, some of you will be put off by the raw eggs, but it’s time to take your taste buds on an adventure! So, buck up, and let’s get to mixing.
Soda Sua Hôt Gà Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, or to taste
1 egg yolk
1 cup club soda
Ice
Steps
1. Place sweetened condensed milk and egg yolk in the bottom of a glass.
2. Fill glass with club soda and stir vigorously until combined.
3. Pour over ice and serve.
Note: The carbonation may curdle the eggs slightly. If you like, you can strain it to remove any solid bits.
The Moscow Mule - the only drink you’ll ever make in this glass.
16. Moscow Mule - Russia (sort of)
As the legend goes, in 1941 Sophie Berezinski immigrated to the US from Russia along with 2,000 solid copper mugs she helped create with her father, the owner of a Russian copper factory. Unable to unload these mugs in Russia, Sophie, like so many young women, set out for that magical wonderland where dreams come true, The Sunset Strip. There she met Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock ‘n’ Bull pub/ creator of ginger beer and John Martin, owner of the then floundering Smirnoff Vodka distillery. At the time Americans had no interest in vodka, ginger beer, or copper mugs. However, when Sophie so brilliantly decided to combine them with ice, and one of the best cocktails was born.
Moscow Mule Recipe (according to The International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails):
Ingredients:
2 ounces Vodka
4 ounces Ginger Beer
1/2 ounce fresh Lime Juice
Ice
Garnish: lime wheel or fresh mint (if desired)
Steps
1. Pour the ingredients into a copper mug
2. Add ice cubes
3. Garnish if desired
The hardest part of this recipe is getting the copper mug. But to be honest, most of us probably have a set lying around from some family Christmas Yankee gift Swap we did eleven years ago. Right?
Long Island Iced Tea, with a sprig of garnish to make it seem classy.
17. Long Island Iced Tea - USA
I almost didn’t include this drink famous for having a much higher alcohol concentration than most, but then I realized many of my readers are from outside the US, so why not grace you with this American classic? Robert “Rosebud” Butt, yes his real name, claims to have invented the Long Island Iced Tea in a Triple Sec centric drink contest held at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island, New York. If you want to make a Long Island, you’ll need a full liquor cabinet and the ability to sleep in the next day.
Long Island Iced Tea Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups ice cubes, plus more for serving
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces gin
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces blanco tequila
2 ounces triple sec
2 ounces maple syrup
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
2 ounces fresh lime juice
8 ounces Colca-Cola
Steps
1. In a large pitcher, combine ice, gin, vodka, rum, tequila, triple sec, maple syrup, lemon juice, and lime juice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until the pitcher feels cold to the touch. Top off the mix with Coca-Cola.
2. Pour into cocktail glasses filled with ice
Makes 4-6 Servings
Negroni, a stiff little number from Italy
18. Negroni - Italy
Born in 1914 at Cafe Casoni in Florence Italy, this stiff cocktail came about when Count Camillo Negroni asked bartender Forsco Scarselli to make a stronger version of the popular drink, the Americano. Scarselli swapped the lemon garnish for orange and switched the soda water with gin. The Negroni family still mass produces a ready-made version of the drink, sold as Antico Negroni.
Negroni Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 ounce gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari
Garnish: Orange twist or slice
Steps
1. Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes
2. Pour gin, vermouth, and Campari
3. Stir
4. Squeeze orange twist or slice over the glass, then top as garnish
5. Serve
So there you have it! 18 drinks from 18 countries. Drop me a message if you try these recipes and let me know which you liked best.
Stay safe. Stay curious. Stay at least 6 feet away until this is over. xoxo Jenn
