Don Diego's Cóctel Macuá

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 45 ml rum (Flor de Cana 4 years or other rum)
• 30 ml guava juice
• 30 ml orange juice
• 15 ml lime juice
• 15 ml sugar syrup
• 1 orange(s)
• 1 jar cocktail cherry(s), green (alternatively red)

Instructions

Working time approx. 5 minutes; Total time approx. 5 minutes

Nicaragua’s national cocktail since 2006

Her name was Gioconda, and her smile lived up to her name. Above all, she had been kind enough to accompany me to the best pasta and marisco restaurant in Managua. La Cueva del Buzo (Diver’s Cave) is run by Alessio, a former terrorist with the Brigada Rossa, who, as a young boy, is said to have sat on Pope Paul VI’s lap in the Vatican garden and played “Musical Chairs” with him and the cardinals. Just a side note. La Gioconda asked me if I’d ever tried Macuá, Nicaragua’s national cocktail. I said no, thinking to myself: As an avid beer drinker, I’ve always felt comfortable in Nicaragua with beers bearing girls’ names. Victoria and Toña, a shortened form of Antonia, are the names of the two attractive blondes who were always ushered to our tables with a frosty smile by the country’s waiters. La Gioconda smiled, and I felt like I was being seen through. With a proud expression, she declared herself my personal ambassador for Nicaragua for the evening, raised her glass, and invited me to try her cocktail. With slight regret, I let go of my beloved Toña and, sighing inwardly, reached for her cocktail. It was served in a highball glass and had a delicate pink hue. A slice of orange and a bright green lime-cherry served as garnish. And then I was surprised by the smooth, fruity flavor and velvety mouthfeel, a perfect amalgamation of the ingeniously blended fruit juices. The cocktail’s boost from the excellent Nicaraguan rum “Flor de Caña” was noticeable, but remained discreetly in the background. The Macuá was invented by a doctor from Granada who involved his entire family in his creative process. He presented his cocktail in September 2006 in a competition initiated by Immanuel Zerger, a German tourism entrepreneur in Nicaragua. Thanks to his negotiating skills, the Ministry of Tourism, Flor de Caña, the national restaurant association, and his own company, “Solentiname Tours,” cooperated effectively. Attractive prizes and intensive publicity for the competition generated considerable public interest. Unlike in comparable competitions, the winner was not forgotten after a few weeks. Quite the opposite. Originating in Granada and Managua, the Macuá is enjoying growing popularity and is now a standard part of all good restaurants and bars in Nicaragua. “What is that?” was my spontaneous and somewhat awkward reaction to the drink. Thankfully, La Gioconda could see from my face that this was meant with appreciation, and so she readily explained: “Oye, mi amor / Look, my love, Macuá is one and a half parts Flor de Caña rum, one part guava juice, one part orange juice, and half a part each of lime juice and sugar syrup. You put the whole thing in a cocktail shaker, fill it with ice cubes or crushed ice, and shake it for half a minute or until your hand falls off from the cold. Then you strain the cocktail into a high glass filled with a few ice cubes and garnish it with an orange slice and a green cherry. That’s all! No big secret, you just “know how”!!!” “And the name “Macuá”? What does it mean?” I persisted. “The Macuá is a small bird from the jungles of Nicaragua. Few have ever seen it because it builds its nest in tree hollows in the middle of the forest, about 30 meters up. In our mythology, it’s a lucky bird. Money or love, as you wish. It’s a matchmaking service from the pre-internet era, so to speak. And because of this, they make a perfume from the bird’s nests here, the “Perfume nido del pájaro Macuá.” For close combat, so to speak.” La Gioconda paused briefly and then continued—this time with an amused smile—“Don’t worry! I’m wearing simple Dior today!” Relieved, I reached for my glass of beer again and was about to take a long swig of Toña when La Gioconda, with a face that had completely wiped away all smiles, hissed conspiratorially at me: “Estoy celosa!!!!” (I’m jealous!!!!) El está metido con su Toñita, otra vez! (He’s with his little Toña again!)” It took me a moment to realize that her remark was a quote from a beer commercial, alluding to how men all too easily and all too quickly devote themselves to their beer girlfriends instead of taking care of their real girlfriends or wives. La Gioconda looked at me with raised eyebrows, her gaze wandering between me and her empty glass. I understood, and ordered TWO Macuá. The ambassador smiled contentedly: “Misión cumplida!” (Mission accomplished!)