El Terremoto - THe Earthquake!!!
El Terremoto con grenadina
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)
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)