Guide to Unique Latin American Alcoholic Beverages

Latin American countries add a lot of unique and most importantly great tasting alcoholic beverages to the global alcoholic beverages market. Just like the rest of the world, Latin American counties produce common alcoholic beverages like beer or wine. However they also produce alcoholic beverages that are truly unique only to their part of the world. For example, many of their alcoholic beverages are produced from ingredients that are native only to their part of the world. Unique tropical climate in Latin America helps with growing various rare fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants. And a lot of all that homegrown produce is later used in making alcoholic beverages.

Latin American counties have historically originated a lot of very unique and in some way rare alcoholic beverages. For example, alcoholic beverages like Tequila, Pisco, Raicilla, Tepache, Cachaca, Mezcal, Cauim, Xtabentun and Singani have all been originated in Latin America. Some of Latin American alcoholic beverages were originally produced by the European settlers, however some were originally produced by the indigenous peoples that were living in those areas. For example, alcoholic beverage Pisco was originally produced in Peru by Spanish settlers. While an alcoholic beverage Cauim was produced by the indigenous peoples in Brazil.

Mexico produces a lot of great tasting and unique alcoholic beverages. For example, alcoholic beverages like Tequila, Tepache, Mezcal, Raicilla and Xtabentun. Tequila is a distilled alcoholic beverage produced from Agave plants. Tequila is probably the most common of all alcoholic beverages that are from Mexico and is usually sold in most of liquor stores. However Mexican alcoholic beverages like Mezcal and Raicilla are very close to Tequila. Just like Tequila, Mezcal and Raicilla, are both produced from Agave plants. Since there are many different species of Agave plant and, each of them produces a different flavor, Mezcal, Tequila and Raicilla all have different flavors also. Another unique Mexican alcoholic beverage is Tepache. Tepache is a drink produced from the pineapple and sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon. A small amount of beer is also usually added in order to get higher level of alcohol. Xtabentun is another very unique alcoholic beverage produced in Mexico. Xtabentun is produced from rum, anise seeds and fermented honey produced by bees from the nectar of Xtabentun flowers. The word Xtabentun comes from Mayan language and means "vines growing on stone".

South American countries like Brazil, Chile, Bolivia and Peru produce their own unique and great tasting alcoholic beverages. For example, both Chile and Peru produce an alcoholic beverage called Pisco. Pisco is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grapes. It was originally produced in Peru by Spanish settlers. Pisco is a very popular alcoholic beverages through out Latin America and especially in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. Brazil is a homeland to a very old and unique alcoholic beverage called Cauim. Cauim is a traditional alcoholic beverage or beer of the indigenous peoples in Brazil. It is still made today in remote areas throughout Panama and South America. Cauim is made by fermenting manioc (a large starchy root) or maize, sometimes flavored with fruit juices. Another less know alcoholic beverage that originates in Brazil is Cachaca. Cachaca is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. Outside Brazil Cachaca is used as a very popular cocktail ingredient. Cachaca is made from sugarcane juice and is very close to rum. Bolivia is another South American country that produces unique and great tasting alcoholic beverage called Singani. Singani is an alcoholic beverage distilled from a variety of the Muscatel grapes grown in Bolivia. Singani is a Bolivia's national liquor and is used to make many cocktails.

Very unique and great tasting ingredients make Latin American alcoholic beverages to stand out amongst many other alcoholic beverages from other countries. Even though it is a little bit hard to find some of those alcoholic beverages for sale in regular liquor stores, some specialty liquor stores do sell majority of them. However it is very important to never get carried away with such a great variety of alcoholic beverages. It is always important to drink alcoholic beverages in moderation.