Last Updated: January 28, 2022
Peruvian Drinks You Must Try
Peruvian cuisine without doubt has stolen the show in recent years when it comes to all things Peru but Peruvian drinks deserve a little bit of the spotlight too. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic Peruvian drinks have a direct connection to Peruvian culture from drinks that stem back to the Incas craft beers and lots more.
Join me as we take a dive into the popular Peruvian drinks you must try while you’re visiting this amazing country.
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Pisco Sour
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
One of the most popular and typical Peruvian drinks is the famous Pisco Sour. Peruvian pisco sours are Peru’s national drink and it’s so popular that there is even a national holiday for the drink, National Pisco Sour Day on the first Saturday in February every year.
So, what is pisco and how do you make a pisco sour? Pisco is a liquor made from grapes, a bit of a grape brandy that was first brewed by the Spanish in Peru during the 1500s.
A Pisco Sour came to life when a bartender in Lima came up with it. To make a Pisco Sour you need to mix Pisco with Lime Juice, Sweet Syrup, Ice, Egg White, and Bitters. A pisco sour is incredibly delicious but drinking a pisco sour shouldn’t be taken lightly as they are very alcoholic which is disguised by the citrus.
The Pisco Sour has been around since 1920 and has become one of the most popular traditional Peruvian drinks around the world.
Chicha de Jora
Another traditional Peruvian drink you have to try and that Peruvians love is Chicha de Jora, sometimes spelled Chica de Jora. Chicha De Jora is another alcoholic drink that has been drunk in Peru for hundreds of years and it tastes similar to apple cider.
Chicha De Jora is made from fermented corn and it could be described as a Peruvian beer. It’s made using a special yellow corn called Jora which is found in the Andes and is brewed in a very similar way to normal wheat beer.
Chicha de Jora is served cold like most beers, comes in a special pint-sized glass, and it goes well alongside Peruvian food. It has a sweet initial taste and quite a bitter after taste, making it a bit like a beer/cider mix.
Chicha de Jora is not particularly delicious as the flavors take you on a bit of a roller coaster but since it’s been drunk since times of the Incan Empire, you kind of have to taste it.
Chicha Morada
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Chicha Morada is a non-alcoholic drink from Peru that is also made from corn, so you could call it the non-alcoholic version of Chicha de Jora.
This popular Peruvian drink is one the most unique Peruvian drinks around as it is made from purple corn, a special kind of corn that you can only find in Peru, Maiz Morada or purple corn. This purple corn has been used in Peruvian drinks and Peruvian dishes since the Inca Empire.
Chicha Morada is a purple drink that is made by boiling purple corn with cinnamon, sugar, cloves, and pineapple skin. This gives Chicha Morada a deep spicy but sweet taste.
Don’t let the taste fool you though as Chicha Morada is super healthy and is a natural healing drink. It helps your body fight cancer, obesity, diabetes, and lots more, plus it’s delicious so be sure to drink as much Chicha Morada as you can while in Peru.
Chilcano
Another popular and refreshing drink in Peru is Chilcano which is another Peruvian cocktail made using pisco. It’s a little different from pisco sours as it’s less alcoholic and the ingredients used differ too.
To make a Chilcano cocktail you need to mix pisco as the base liquor with ginger ale, lime juice, angostura bitters, and ice. This delicious combination creates a refreshing taste that bubbles off the tongue and is one of the most easy-drinking cocktails you’ll find in Peru.
You will also find quite a few variations of this cocktail in Peru as most bars put their own spin on them. Some will be served with mixtures of exotic fruits and their fruit juices such as lucuma and maracuya that come from the amazon making the cocktail a very unique drink.
Mate de Coca
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Mate de Coca is one of the most traditional Peruvian drinks you can try while in Peru and a drink that will get you going in the morning.
As you might have guessed, Mate De Coca is literally a coca tea made by brewing coca leaves from the coca plant in hot water – the same coca leaves that make cocaine.
While the coca leaf is synonymous with the drug, it’s actually very medicinal, gives you a lot of energy, and helps manage altitude sickness. It has been consumed for its medicinal properties by Peru’s indigenous people for thousands of years.
Mate De Coca isn’t readily available all over Peru but you’ll find this coca tea everywhere in the Andean highlands. It’s served hot, is very warming, and has a bitter taste to it which is quite pleasant. Of all the traditional Peruvian drinks to try, this is one you should put at the top of your list.
Inca Kola
Inca Kola is the most popular soft drink in Peru and most Peruvians don’t drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi, they only drink Inca Kola.
Inca Kola has a great history that dates back to 1910 when a young couple from England opened a shop in Lima where they sold homemade carbonated beverages. Then when Lime was celebrating its 400 year anniversary, they decided to make a special drink to commemorate it, and that drink was Inca Kola.
Today, Inca Kola is the “Pride of Peru” and you’ll find it at every Peruvian market and all over billboards everywhere.
Inca Kola is an odd color, fluorescent yellow, and it has a much sweeter taste than you’d expect and it has a bubblegum taste to it too. You might find it a little bit too sweet but that shouldn’t stop you from trying it.
Today, Inca Kola isn’t owned by a charming English couple anymore, it was bought up and is now owned by Coca-Cola.
Emoliente
If you’re ever feeling ill while traveling around Peru or are in need of a boost then you have to try out one of the top medicinal Peruvian drinks, Emoliente.
Emoliente is a herbal tea and this tea is a popular drink during the colder seasons as it is thought to be packed with healing qualities that stave off the flu and speed up recovery.
This classic drink isn’t sold in shops, you can only find it from street vendors called emolienteras. The emolienteras serve this Peruvian drink either hot or warm and they all have their own blends, each addressing a particular illness or ailment.
Emoliente tea is made by boiling up a blend of herbs and grains and includes barley, dried horsetail, flax seeds, plantain leaves, and alfalfa sprouts. It can also be sweetened with honey, fresh juices, or fruit pieces.
This special medicinal tea has been a favorite drink in Peru for more than 100 years and it’s one of the most popular drinks in Peru today, so it’s got to do something good.
Cusqueña
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
If you drink beer then having a Cusqueña beer while you’re in Peru is a must. Cusqueña isn’t a single brand of beer but more of a collective of Peruvian beers and probably the tastiest beer you can drink in the country.
If you’re looking for a light beer that is refreshing and easy to drink a lot of then take a dive into a few bottles of Cusqueña Premium. It’s pretty much the standard lager of Peru and you’ll find it everywhere.
If you like beer and are willing to branch out, there are lots of the Cusqueña brands you should try. Their wheat beer is pretty awesome, as is their dark schwarzbier, and they do a great red beer too.
You’ll be able to find most of these beers in almost all the restaurants around Peru, if they don’t serve a selection of the beers, all the restaurants will serve the premium.
Chicha de Frutilla
Chicha de Frutilla is another great Peruvian drink and it’s pretty much a sweet version to the slightly bitter Chicha de Jora. It’s pretty much corn beer, which is the Chich de Jora with a dash of sugar and some fruit blended into it, and that fruit is strawberries.
The additional sugar and strawberries remove the bitterness from the drink making a kind of fruity beer. If you have ever had a fruit-flavored beer before, it’s kind of similar to that. The strawberries also give this drink a pink color which makes it more appealing in my eyes.
You’ll be able to find these traditional Peruvian drinks at some restaurants called Picanteria which serve up traditional foods. It comes served cold with a huge glass with a frothy head and locals love to drink this while having some food.
Algarrobina
The most typical Peruvian drinks are fruit juices as Peru is abundant with fresh fruit. You can find so many varieties of fruits from passionfruit to pineapples, bananas, guavas, and lots more.
All these fruits are made into fresh juices with a bit of honey or fruit nectars to make them a little sweeter.
While fruit juice is one of the most common Peruvian drinks, there is one which is a rather famous drink – Algarrobina or jugo especial as it’s called in Peru.
Algarrobina is actually a carob root from Peru which is the special ingredient in these drinks. The syrup is first extracted from the Algarrobina and has a sweet flavor along with some tannins.
The recipe for this special juice changes from vendor to vendor but almost always contains fresh juice, egg, milk, spices, and Algarrobina syrup. These non-alcoholic drinks have a fruity sweet flavor to them and are extremely popular beverages all over the country.
Peruvian Wine
Back in the day, the only good wine you could find in Peru came from other countries in South America such as Argentina and Chile, but that’s not the case anymore.
Peru has finally caught up by changing its growing methods to produce some rather palatable Peruvian wine which you can now find on wine lists around the country. It was thanks to French winemakers who came to Peru and gave some advice and insight on how to get better flavors out of the wine.
In the early 2000s, Santiago Queirolo vineyards of Ica, Peru got some help from two famous winemakers Edmundo Bordeu and Jacques Blouin and all their vintages have since improved no end.
The same went from the Apu Winery, which is considered a candidate from the highest altitude vineyard in the world. Their range of white Peruvian wines is now delicious, again after some consultations.
Today, most locals will still reach for a cold beer over wine but that is slowly changing as tasty but affordable wines are becoming more available.
Limonada Peruana
If you’re looking for a few cups of refreshing lemonade while you’re in Peru, you’re not going to find it but you can try out the traditional Peruvian version which swaps out the lemon for lime.
Limonada Peruana is consumed all over Peru just like a soda might and you’ll find it at cafes. This cool drink is an improved version of lemonade in my eyes as it’s far less sweet.
Limonada Peruana is made with special little Peruvian limes that are abundant in the country and these are combined with just a little brown sugar instead of heaps of white sugar. This makes it taste a little more sour than usual but it’s far healthier for you.
Limonada Peruana is always served cold over ice and a single cup will have you standing tall thanks to the sour tastes and the high influx of vitamins.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
