It felt like summer was here, and then it certainly didn’t! I suppose that’s typical weather for springtime in Illinois; however, that brief period of summerlike conditions certainly gave me the itch to drink a fun cocktail on the patio.
Furthermore, our Culinary and Hospitality Program is preparing, alongside LLCC ‘s Foundation, for our annual Gala, a fundraising event to which we always feature a fun signature drink.
This year’s theme is “Sail Away,” and that got me digging into the history of Caribbean drinks. While you may readily think of a daquiri when you think of taking it easy on a boat in the summer heat, you may have never heard of a Canchanchara.
According to Difford’s Guide, a leading industry website with information on the history of bartending, recipes for classic drinks, reviews on spirits from A-Z, as well as to glassware, and just about anything else related to the bar that you might need, the Canchanchara is Cuba’s oldest cocktail - not the famed daquiri.
Using honey syrup with lime and rum, this refreshing cocktail is considered the predecessor of the classic daquiri. The Canchanchara is storied to be what was in fashion for Cubans fighting in the Spanish War long before the rise of the famous daquiri. The daquiri didn’t explode in popularity until the height of prohibition as East Coast folks fled to rum-loving, high society cantinas just across the Caribbean Sea in Cuba.
While the only difference between the Canchanchara and the classic daquiri is the way in which it is sweetened. Perhaps the name itself was the deciding factor in one cocktail being very well known in every form from classic to blended with every fruit under the sun and the other cocktail being nearly unknown! If you are getting local honey from the springtime bees, which will be more pale yellow than the fall amber colored honey, consider a lighter more fresh rum such as Flor de Cana to use in the recipes below. Three cheers for beautiful days ahead and plenty of fresh cocktails to enjoy.
Canchanchara
- 2 fl. oz. light aged rum
- .5 fl. oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
- .5 fl. oz. honey thinned with .25 ounce water
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over ice-filled glass.
Daquiri
- 2 fl. oz. light aged rum
- 1 fl. oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
- .75 fl. oz. demerara sugar syrup
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain over ice-filled glass.
About
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.