Ingredients
Drink
- 45 mlwhite rum
- 45 mlguava juice
- 30 mllemon juice
- 15 mlsugar syrup
- plenty of ice
Garnish
- an orange or lemon slice
- a cocktail cherry
Directions
- Use Nicaraguan white rum if you can, which is what the drink was designed around.
- The proportions are close to a daiquiri with guava standing in for part of the sweetness, and that guava is what makes it Nicaraguan rather than generic.
- Squeeze the lemon fresh, immediately before mixing.
- Bottled lemon juice is flat and slightly metallic and it shows immediately in a drink this simple, where there are only four things to hide behind.
- Fill a shaker right up with ice, because a half-empty tin waters the drink instead of chilling it.
- Add the rum, guava juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
- Shake hard for 15 seconds, until the tin frosts.
- Shake it properly rather than stirring. Guava juice is thick and pulpy and it needs the aeration to lighten it.
- Strain into a glass over fresh ice, or into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a slice of citrus and a cherry.
- Taste before you serve it and adjust the syrup, because guava juice varies enormously in sweetness between brands.
- It became the national drink of Nicaragua after a 2006 competition run by the tourism board and the Flor de Caña distillery, which is unusually well documented for a national cocktail.
- It is named after the macuá, a Nicaraguan bird, and the winning recipe came from a doctor in Granada.
Technique
- Guava nectar is what is generally sold and is sweeter than pure juice, so cut the syrup accordingly.
- Flor de Caña is the Nicaraguan rum most associated with it.
- It is served long over ice in Nicaragua rather than straight up.
Substitutions
- Guava nectar, reducing the sugar syrup.
- Lime in place of lemon, which is closer to a daiquiri.
Variations
- Blended with ice as a frozen version.
- With aged rum, which is richer and less bright.
- With a splash of orange juice, which some bars add.
History
Rum, guava and lemon cocktail named after a bird; it won a national contest in 2006 and was proclaimed Nicaragua’s national drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is Macuá?
Macuá is a cocktail from Nicaragua: national cocktail of white rum and guava juice. Rum, guava and lemon cocktail named after a bird; it won a national contest in 2006 and was proclaimed Nicaragua’s national drink.
How long does Macuá take to make?
Macuá takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Macuá?
Yes, within limits. Guava nectar, reducing the sugar syrup. Lime in place of lemon, which is closer to a daiquiri.
What is the most important thing to get right in Macuá?
The proportions are close to a daiquiri with guava standing in for part of the sweetness, and that guava is what makes it Nicaraguan rather than generic.
