Chilean drinking culture

Chile is particularly known in South America for its good wines. Chileans are naturally proud of this and drink it on every occasion, not just for special events, but often for lunch or dinner. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere grape varieties are popular. In the summer, cheaper wines with strawberries and ice cubes, whether puréed or not, are also popular refreshments for men and women.

On the other hand, beer is mainly consumed by men, as in Germany. In addition to Chilean beer brands such as Escudo or Cristal, you can also find German brands such as Oettinger or Schöfferhofer. You can often see 'Kunstmann - the good beer' on umbrellas of restaurants or bars.

Instead, women mainly turn to the Mexican variant 'Chelada'. This drink is consumed from a tall, wide glass with a thick salt rim and contains freshly squeezed lime juice, to which ice-cold beer is added. Another classic, especially for women, but also at parties in general, is Pisco Sour, which is made from the alcoholic national drink Pisco (grape brandy), sugar syrup, lime juice, and egg white. This can be bought ready mixed in supermarkets. Alternatively, many Chileans simply drink Pisco with cola and enjoy their 'Piscola' with ice cubes.

Another very typical Chilean refreshing drink is Mote con Huesillo. This can be bought at roadside stands, but often also ordered in cafes or bars. It contains peeled and cooked wheat (Mote), dried peaches that have been soaked and then cooked (Huesillos), and the juice in which the peaches were cooked. I have to admit that when I first saw this drink, I found it more than disgusting because the peaches looked like small, wrinkled brains. At that time, I did not yet know what Mote con Huesillo consisted of and just ordered it because I wanted to try something typical Chilean. Now I can say that it tasted very, very sweet and the 'little brains' were the most memorable part of the taste. However, I don't think I will order it again.

What I found most interesting was the wide range of fruit juices offered in restaurants and cafes, some of which contained fruits that I had never heard of before, such as Cherimoya, which tastes similar to a pear.

For parties, young people in Chile, like in Germany, also enjoy mixed drinks such as Vodka Lemon or Rum with Cola. Even German Jägermeister or its Chilean version 'Araucano' are not uncommon.

The drink that I liked the most was called Melvin (Melón + vino). To make it, you halve a Galia melon or honeydew melon, hollow it out, fill it with (usually cheap) white wine, and add a few melon cubes. Melvin is drunk directly from the melon without a glass or straw and is a classic for warm summer evenings.