Chappy Hour: Santero Cocktail + Refugee Song

What does it mean to leave the country—and the people—you love? To be uprooted from the soil that gave birth to, and nurtured you? To abandon both your past and your hoped-for future and embark on a voyage of uncertainty? As you contemplate the questions raised in Lawrence Feuchtwanger’s Refugee Song (Signature Editions, 2014), sip a Santero cocktail, a Mojito-like drink developed in Cuba circa 1940. The drink’s roots pay homage to the many people who were forcibly moved to the Caribbean, and the traditions they brought with them.

 What You Need: What to Do:Place the room temperature limes in a large cocktail shaker. Add the honey and muddle thoroughly – the lime juice and honey need to be completely blended or the honey will coagulate when mixed with ice. Add the rum – do not add the ice yet – and give the shaker a thorough shake. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until a bit of foam appears at the top. Pour into two rocks glasses and top each with one ounce of champagne. Garnish with a lime twist.[source] What to Read:

Read an excerpt from Refugee Song by Lawrence Feuchtwanger here.* * *Love our Chappy Hour column? Read past entries here.