Canchánchara
The ancestral Cuban rum sour made with honey and fresh lime.
The Canchánchara is widely considered the oldest known Cuban cocktail, pre-dating the Daiquiri. It combines aguardiente (or raw rum), honey, and lime, historically served warm in clay cups to soothe colonial fighters, but now served over ice. The honey provides a floral, viscous sweetness that stands up to the raw sugarcane notes of the rum better than simple syrup. It is a rustic, communal drink that forms the backbone of Cuban cantinero history.
Ingredients
- • 2 oz white or gold rum
- • 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
- • 0.75 oz honey syrup
Did you know?
“Cuban guerrillas (Mambises) used the drink as a nutritional tonic and painkiller during the 19th-century wars for independence.”
Bartender's Note
Dissolve the honey with the lime juice or a splash of warm water before adding ice to prevent it from seizing.
How to make the Canchánchara
- 1Add lime juice and honey syrup to a clay mug or rocks glass
- 2Stir vigorously to integrate
- 3Add rum and fill the vessel with crushed ice
- 4Stir aggressively to chill
- 5Garnish with a lime wedge
