Cocktail of the week: Terremoto

You can rest assured that a cocktail called a terremoto (earthquake in English) will leave you feeling fairly shaky. The terremoto was born in 1985 in a well-known restaurant and bar in downtown Santiago called El Hoyo (www.elhoyo.cl), when the barman made it for a bunch of German journalists covering an earthquake: ‘This surely is an earthquake,’ he declared as he served it to them.

The two non-negotiable ingredients of a terremoto are vino pipeño (a fairly rough Chilean fermented white wine with a brownish hue), and pineapple ice cream. Some establishments add either Pisco, Fernet , or rum to the mix – with devastating consequences on the drinker.

Traditionally the terremoto is served in a 1L glass (it’s lovingly referred to as a cataclismo in this format) and is followed up by 500ml repeat of the same drink – the aftershock or replica.It’s one of those drinks which gives a very bad first impression, but improves significantly as the ice cream melts and your tastebuds become numbed. Great for those humid Santiago summer days, and a must-try on your Chilean adventure.