Christmas is coming! In sunny Santiago, Christmas calls for cold drinks, not hot ones. Cola de Mono, aka colemono or monkey’s tail, is an extremely popular Christmas drink in Chile that you simply must try.
We’re not quite sure how the drink came by its unusual name…one popular tale holds that the drink was invented when former president Pedro Montt misplaced his beloved Colt revolver at a party. Naturally the man was upset, and in an effort to diffuse the situation and calm everyone’s nerves, some enterprising individual spiked the cold cafe con leche with booze and some spices and named the concoction Colt de Montt in honor of the president’s misplaced weapon. The drink was a hit and eventually the name changed to cola de mono…maybe because of the cinnamon stick that typically pokes out of the glass?
If you’re in Chile, you can buy premade cola de mono at the store, sample homemade versions at various bars, or make your own at home. Here’s a quick and easy recipe: Cola de Mono