A potent sweet cocktail of rough young white wine topped with a scoop of pineapple ice cream and a dash of grenadine, served in a large glass. Sweet, frothy and deceptively strong, it is Chile's unofficial party drink.
The terremoto, meaning earthquake, got its name in the aftermath of Chile's massive March 1985 quake. The best-known story tells of German reporters covering the disaster who, after downing the drink in a downtown Santiago bar, had one of them rise to his feet, reel from the dizziness and exclaim "now THIS is an earthquake!" It evolved from an earlier pineapple-and-wine punch, and rival Santiago dives such as La Piojera, El Hoyo and Rincon de los Canallas all claim to have first poured it. It is now a fixture of the September 18 independence celebrations.
Sweet pineapple cream swirls into tart, funky wine for a frothy, dessert-like sip that hides a serious alcoholic punch. By the time you reach the bottom, you understand the name.
The melting ice cream sweetens and chills the harsh wine while emulsifying into a frothy texture, masking the alcohol so the drink goes down dangerously easily.
Variations
replica served as a smaller refill, with fernet added, africano made with red wine, cataclismo poured in a large jug, with different fruit ice cream
On the Palate
Where Terremoto sits in the Chilean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 1How it's made
8 steps · 5 min
- 11 min
Chill a large glass or goblet beforehand.
- 21 min
Pour in a generous measure of rough young white wine such as pipeno.
- 31 min
Add a small splash of grenadine for color and sweetness.
- 41 min
Float a scoop of pineapple ice cream on top.
Watch outFloat the ice cream on top and do not stir — letting it slowly melt into the wine is what froths and sweetens it, masking how strong it really is.
- 51 min
Add a dash of fernet or bitters if desired for extra kick.
- 61 min
Do not stir, letting the ice cream slowly melt into the wine.
- 71 min
Serve immediately with a spoon and straw.
- 81 min
Sip slowly, as it is far stronger than it tastes.
