Name: Terremoto cocktail
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Chilean
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons grenadine; 1/2 cup of white wine; 1/2 cup sparkling wine (Prosecco or similar); 3 scoops of pineapple ice cream (in the US, use pineapple sorbet or pineapple-coconut)

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Versión en español

Chilean Terremoto is a famous Chile cocktail, especially during national holiday celebrations. The name “Terremoto” translates to “earthquake” in Spanish, referring to the drink’s potency and how it can leave you slightly shaky.

The Terremoto is one of the recent appearances within the Chilean drinks industry. There are many stories about the name and where it was invented. Still, it is undoubtedly a great example of Chilean ingenuity and our culture of not being afraid of tremors. We were born and live with them.

The traditional Terremoto cocktail is made with just a few ingredients:

White Wine: A sweet white wine like Moscatel or Pipeño is typically used as the base for this drink. Pipeño is unavailable in the US, so I mix white wine with sparkling wine for a similar flavor and light bubbles. Some Chilean natural pipeños are now available in the US but are not suitable varieties for the Terremoto.
Pineapple Ice Cream: This key ingredient gives Terremoto a unique flavor and creamy texture. The pineapple ice cream is responsible for the drink’s cloudy appearance. Pineapple ice cream is also hard to find in the US, so I’m giving you options on the recipe card.
Grenadine: A sweet and non-alcoholic syrup commonly used in cocktails and mocktails to add a vibrant red color and a hint of sweetness. I used grenadine without artificial colors, so it is not the fiery red one sometimes sees in Chile.

Tips for a great Terremoto:

You can also use Fernet to give it a different touch. You can put the grenadine or fernet at the bottom of the glass or on top of the ice cream. I prefer to do both so the flavor is better distributed and looks pretty.

Terremoto drink is not usually stirred, allowing the flavors to blend as you drink it.

Other Chilean drinks we recommend: Easy pisco sour, borgoña.