Every country typically has a national drink. Peru, on the other hand, has at least five. Many of these were already drunk by the Incas and are an important part of the history and culture of the Peruvian people. When travelers visit this South American country, they should try the five drinks that Peruvians are most proud of.
Pisco Sour
This strong liquor distilled from grapes is so important to the Peruvian people, that they would fight a war over it with their neighbors in Chile. The two countries both claim that Pisco originated in their respective countries. Be as it may, Pisco is omnipresent everywhere in Peru.
The best way to try Pisco is as the delicious cocktail Pisco Sour. It is made with Pisco, lime juice, egg whites, syrup, and regional bitters. One can simply not leave Peru without having at least one Pisco Sour. It is a perfect aperitif and many visitors end up having one, or more, each day of their stay.
Coca Tea
Peru is one of the few countries where it is legal to grow the coca plant, of course not with the intention of producing cocaine from its leaves, but for traditional and medicinal purposes. Ever since the time of the Incas, the inhabitants of the Andes have been chewing coca to increase the absorption of oxygen in the blood and to combat altitude sickness.
Most tourists are not so fond of chewing these not so tasty leaves. For them, there is coca tea: hot water, coca leaves and a lot of sugar. It not only helps to relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness, it also works as a digestive. Therefore, it should be recommended to each traveler to drink a lot of coca tea while in Peru.
Inca Kola
Inca Kola is the local soda favorite. It is a yellow drink with gas based on fruits. It is extremely sweet and tastes like bubblegum. Choosing Inca Kola over the other multinational colas is a patriotic act in Peru. Or at least that is what the advertisements implied until, ironically, Inca Kola was sold to the Coca Cola Company.
Chicha de Jora
Chicha refers to several varieties of both fermented and non-alcoholic beverages made from Peru’s favorite ingredient, maize. Chicha de Jora is traditionally prepared from a specific kind of yellow corn through a process similar to the one for the production of beer. It has an alcohol percentage between one and three percent.
Travelers need to try this drink not in the first place because of its delicious taste, it has a quite bitter after taste, but because it is such a historical important drink. The Inca used Chicha for ritual purposes and consumed it during religious festival. At Machu Picchu, mills were found where the Inca women made the Chicha.
Cusqueña
Nowadays, the most popular drink among young Peruvians is beer. Peru might not be known as an important beer-brewing country but there are quite a few of more than decent locally brewed beers. The most popular one with both locals and tourists is Cusqueña, a refreshing, crispy lager beer.
Peruvians do not only like to drink, food is also of the greatest importance to them. Like its drinks, Peru has also a very varied cuisine. Read Five Things Travelers Need to Eat When in Peru to learn more about Peruvian cuisine.
Natalie Lefevre - Natalie Lefevre has lived in several places around the world but now lives and writes from her home country, Belgium. Her expertise is in ...
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