Page 270 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Cuba

268  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

What to Drink in Cuba

A wide range of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are
available in Cuba. Imported wine is available in restaurants
and paladares. To avoid mild stomach upsets and more
serious ailments such as dysentery, it is best to avoid tap
water and drink bottled water instead. Visitors should be
careful, too, about buying drinks such as fruit juice or fruit
shakes and ice-cream from street or market stalls. In bars and
cafés not up to international standards – especially in eastern
Cuba – avoid ice in drinks like cocktails. In such places, it is Preparing refreshing guarapo,
advisable to stick to pre-packaged drinks, draught beer or rum. or sugar cane juice

Beer Spirits
Beer (cerveza) is the most widely seen and The most widespread and popular spirit in Cuba
popular drink in Cuba. It is drunk very cold is rum. There are several different types (see
and at all hours of the day, as well as during p79): the youngest – silver dry and carta blanca –
meals. There are excellent bottled and canned are used in cocktails, while the aged rums (carta
Cuban lager beers, such as Cristal, Lagarto, oro, five years old, and añejos, at least
Mayabe and Bucanero, which is stronger and seven years old) are mostly drunk
drier – fuerte – than the others. A drink similar neat. Besides Havana Club and
to beer is malta, Varadero, which are known world -
a very sweet, wide, there are many other different
fizzy malt-based brands of rum in Cuba. Among the
drink that is best are Matusalém, an upmarket,
popular with all aged rum from Santiago with a
Cubans, including smooth flavour; and Mulata,
children. Malta is which is very popular.
sometimes mixed A “poor relation” of rum is
with condensed aguardiente, which is stronger and
milk to be used quite sour, and drunk mainly by
Bucanero (strong) and Cristal (light) as an energizer locals. Guayabita is a speciality of
canned beer and tonic. Pinar del Río, made from rum and
guava fruit (see p145). In addition,
a range of very sweet flavoured
Packaged Soft Drinks liqueurs (such as coconut, mint,
Soft drinks – lemon, orange and cola – called banana and pineapple) is
refrescos, either Cuban or imported, are sold A bottle of available, usually served
canned. The Tropical Island range of fruit juices, aged rum with ice or in cocktails.
packaged in cartons, is excellent. All kinds of fruits
are used: mango, guayaba (guava), pineapple, Fruit Shakes and Squashes
apple, pear, orange, grapefruit, banana with
orange, tropical cocktail, tamarind, peach and The most common fruit squash is fresh
tomato. The most common brand of bottled lemonade, made with lime, sugar, water and
water sold, still (sin gas) or sparkling (con gas), ice. More nutritious drinks are the batidos,
is Ciego Montero. San Pellegrino mineral water which are shakes made from fresh fruit, often
is also available, but is comparatively expensive. mango and papaya. Milk, sugar and guanábana,
not an easy fruit to find, make a drink called
champola. Coconut juice with ice is a
Hot Drinks delicious, refreshing drink. Another
Hotel bars serve coffee or American coffee. typical Cuban drink is guarapo, which
The coffee served in private homes or sold on is made by squeezing fresh sugar
the streets is usually strong and has sugar already cane stalks with a cane crusher.
added. It is served in a tiny coffee cup. For a dash It makes for a refreshing and
of milk, ask for a cortado; order a café con leche for a energizing drink, but it is
more milky coffee. Sin azúcar means “without sugar”. exceedingly sweet. To tone
Black tea is generally not on any restaurant down the sweetness, Cubans
or café menu, nor can black teabags be found add a few drops of lime or
in supermarkets. It is best to pack your own. a dash of rum.
Herbal tea is more readily available; camomile
tea (manzanilla), for example, is easy to find. Coconut juice served in the shell

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