A Complete Guide to Chile’s Tastiest Drinks and Beverages

Wine and fruit are two things Chileans do best. Borgoña includes the best of both. Made with heaps of sliced strawberries, red wine, a little sugar and sometimes the addition of Cointreau and other fruits, Borgoña is a refreshing drink served over ice during warm summer months.

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Chile’s answer to the margarita, the pisco sour is made with fresh lemon juice, egg white, pisco, simple syrup and crushed ice. Served chilled, this beverage makes for a very happy happy hour and is an essential staple of Chilean cuisine.

There’s nothing more Chilean than a terremoto, or “earthquake.” Just like an actual earthquake, the terremoto can make you feel like the earth is shaking beneath you. The drink’s sweetness hides its punch, with pineapple ice cream, sweet wine and either grenadine or fernet on top. A word of advice: try to limit yourself to two.

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This luscious, summertime drink doesn’t have much to it, which isn’t to say it isn’t thoroughly delicious and worth a try. It’s made by opening the top of a honeydew melon, scooping out parts of the flesh, and then adding white wine and sugar.

The official drink of the Chilean “carrete,” or party, the piscola is a beloved classic. No trip to Chile would be complete without ordering this pisco-with-coke beverage.

This chewy and sweet traditional snack is made with a husked wheat called mote, served in a syrupy liquid with dried peaches, or huesillos. This cold and refreshing drink is non-alcoholic and is most common during hot summer months. Keep an eye out for vendors after climbing up either the San Cristobal or Santa Lucia hills.

This typically Mexican drink gets a Chilean twist with the addition of merkén, a spice typical of Chilean cuisine, originally used by the indigenous Mapuche people. A Chilean michelada is prepared with beer, lemon juice, tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce with a salt and merkén-rimmed glass.

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Similar to Spanish sangria, the main difference is that navegado is served warm. Prepared by heating up red wine with orange slices, sugar and cinnamon, this flavorful drink is ideal for staying cozy on a rainy day in southern Chile, where navegado is typically prepared.

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This alcoholic Chilean countryside drink is made from grapes in central Chile and from apples in southern Chile. What makes chicha distinct is that it is made with fermented fruits but is not distilled. The best time to drink chicha is during national fiestas patrias – celebrations that occur the week of September 18 to celebrate Chile’s independence.

Translating literally to “monkey’s tail,” cola de mono is a curious Christmas cocktail in Chile. Recipes vary, though generally cola de mono will include the strong Chilean liquor aguardiente, which is mixed with milk, coffee, cinnamon, sugar and cloves.