Cocktail Hour In Panama

Every region has its traditional liquor, and Latin America is no exception. Colombia has aguardiente, Peru and Chile have pisco, Brazil has cachaça, Mexico has mezcal… and so on.

What is Panama’s national liquor? Everyone in the country—from a police officer to a nun—will be able to tell you… Seco Herrerano.

Seco (which translates to dry in English) is a type of alcohol derived from sugar cane, which is fermented by select yeasts and triple distilled to produce a clear,

80-proof liquor.

The most well-known and commonly consumed brand of seco is Seco Herrerano. Grown in the Pesé Valley of Panama by the Varela Hermanos (former President Varela’s family legacy), it is said to have been invented over 110 years ago.

Due to its low cost—a bottle of Seco Herrerano costs about $5—the liquor has long been considered a drink of the lower classes. However, its dignity has recently undergone a restoration thanks to ingenious modern chefs who have begun experimenting with seco in craft cocktails.

José Carlos of Donde José restaurant fame has been infusing seco with local fruits and herbs to create over 20 seco flavor variations. “When people try our seco cocktails, they can’t believe it tastes so good because Seco’s reputation isn’t very sexy.”

Traditional seco cocktails include the Chichita Panamá, which is Seco Herrerano mixed with grapefruit and pineapple juice, and the Seco Con Vaca, or seco with cow’s milk or coconut milk.

Listed below are three newer seco cocktail combinations for you to try.

Happy Hour – Seco Sour

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Seco Herrerano
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• Angostura Bitters

Directions

• Combine seco, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Cover and shake vigorously.
• Strain into a tumbler and garnish with a few drops of bitters

Happy Hour – Saril Bloom

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Seco Herrerano
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• 1.5 oz saril tea (or Roselle tea)
• 1 tbsp muddled cucumber
• Soda water

Directions

• In a cocktail shaker, add seco, lime juice, simple syrup, saril tea, and muddled cucumber.
• Cover and shake vigorously.
• Strain over fresh ice.
• Serve with garnish of a few crumbled saril leaves.

Maracuyá Colada

Ingredients

• 0.75 oz Seco Herrerano
• 0.75 oz coconut rum
• 2 oz maracuyá (or passionfruit) juice
• 2 oz coconut cream
• 3 tbsp of chopped fresh pineapple

Directions

• In a tall glass, pour in seco and coconut rum. Set aside.
• Add maracuyá juice, coconut cream, fresh pineapple, and a cupful of ice to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture from blender into the previously prepared tall glass. Stir to combine.
• Serve with a slice of pineapple and a straw.

¡Buen provecho!,

Sophia Titley

Editor, Overseas Living Letter