While the food was phenomenal at every restaurant in Chile, our favorite dining experience was undoubtedly at Espiritu Santo in Valaparaiso. The proprietor Laura and her son Daniel spent 30 years in the USA before moving home to Chile. They brought with them a high appreciation for modern gourmet dining and mixology. The meal at Espiritu Santo was better than any I've had in Tampa, and our dining scene isn't shabby.

Charred sweetbreads, slow-roasted lamb with mint-yogurt couscous, and conger eel in a lemon butter reduction were the highlights of the menu. But the real jewel was getting to know Laura, who took time to explain the menu, tell us her history, and entertain us like friends, not just patrons.

The drink menu was also exceptional at Espirtu Santo, and the standout was their eponymous cocktail. The recipe is simple, but the mixologist's truth holds that fresh squeezed ingredients make all the difference. We must've ordered 5 of these refreshing concoctions. At the end of the night, Laura gladly obliged my request for the recipe. Here's my new favorite summertime cocktail.

In Valparaiso we visited La Sebastiana, one of the homes of Chile's legendary Nobel poet-laureate, Pablo Neruda. The home is a masterful example of quirky art deco. With pieces of nautical, industrial, and geometrical elements, it was fully fitting for Valparaiso. The home had five oddly-shaped floors, and the tiny bar is found on the second floor wedged-in next to the dining room. 

I'm normally not a fan of guided tours, and this one was particularly soaked in extraneous, uncaptivating information. However, my patience was rewarded when the electronic guide explained Neruda's party hosting prowess and his specialty cocktail, El Coquetelon. As you try this drink, imagine yourself as the toast of Chilean society in the 1960's. 

El Coquetelon
Combine in a shaker:
1/2 part Cointreau
1 part cognac
2 parts fresh squeezed orange juice
Crushed Ice
Lightly shake and strain into a martini glass
Top with 2 parts champagne

One of the infamous drinks of Chile is El Terremoto - literally "The Earthquake". It is one of the strangest - but still delicious - concoctions that I've come across. Prior to the trip, I'd read about this cocktail. Its name comes from the reputation that after imbibing, your legs will shake and you might fall over. I wasn't sure whether I'd like it, but I was determined to seek it out at the famous Santiago watering hole called La Piojera. It is a hidden corner joint a few blocks away from the Mercado Central, and it took a little wandering to find the place. (It didn't help that I forgot to write down the name of the bar. I only remembered it started with a "P" and the building was orange. It makes it hard to ask a local for a location based on that!) 

The search was worth it. La Piojera was jam-packed with locals and ex-pats who were universally slugging down Terremotos. With a simple request, they let me behind the bar to make a round myself. The patrons cheered then jeered when I knocked one over. My technique was timid, because the bartenders don't care how much chicha they dump on the bar. If you're ever in Santiago, you MUST go to La Piojera.

Recipe: El Terremoto
20 oz cheap plastic cup
1 scoop pineapple sorbet
Fill 3/4 of cup with chicha (fermented grape mead)
Top with Fernet or grenadine (based on preference)