A simple and appealing drink, Saoco is made of coconut water mixed with aguardiente rum, the hot and burning liquor that was born more than half a millennium ago from sugar cane juice.
This mix of alcohol and coconut was used as a tonic by Cuban slaves. Today, thanks to the addition of ice, it has become a refreshing beverage that quenches your thirst and takes away the tropical heat.
Saoco can be found at many resorts and tourist sites in the country. You may even find it at some hotel bars in Havana.
Sergio Serrano, the International Bartender Associations world champion of 2003, gives us his recipe for capturing the taste of tropical nature:
4 to 5 ounces of coconut water
2 ounces of aguardiente rum
Ice Cubes
Cut the top off a green coconut with a machete or a wide blade knife. Open a small hole of about one inch in diameter with the tip of the knife without spilling the coconut water. Add some aguardiente rum and ice cubes. Stir with a straw to mix the liquids and some of the soft coconut from inside the husk.
Alternatively, the drink can be served in an eight ounce glass.
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