Editorial Note: In April, I took a month off in Medellin. For me, this meant an interesting and diverting month. For you, this means 30 days of posts about my vacation. I’ll try to make them somewhat amusing.
Colombia has a lot going for it, but I do have some complaints about their cocktail selection/preparation. A small point, perhaps, but one for which the wise traveller should prepare himself.
First of all, orange juice is pretty rare here. Fruits are common, other juices are common, but ask for OJ (jugos de naranja) and they’ll look at you like you’re from Mars. I’m sure you know what that means as well as I do: No screwdrivers. I didn’t even bother pursing the vodka-cranberry angle.
(Addendum: On my last night out here, I secured a screwdriver. It was presented strangely, though: A lowball glass with ice, into which a shot was poured, presented with a small carafe of OJ. If only they’d brought the vodka in one of those minibar bottles, it would have made for the world’s cutest bottle service.)
Therefore, I’ve been drinking caipirinhas (which the Colombians insist on spelling with a “k”, for some reason) and mohitos. The caipirinhas are OK, but for the Colombian tendency to salt the rim for no reason that I can discern. (As a rule, though, Colombians love salt.) The mohitos aren’t so great. Chunks of lime in lieu of lime juice, and shredded mint instead of bruised.
I’m all for cultural diversity and trying new things, but some things ought to be universal the world over. And by “some things”, I mean cocktail recipes. It’s just not right that a bartender in California should do a better mohito than a bartender in Medellin.
