misplaced footwear, americandrink: Baseball and Coca Cola. They’re...

Baseball and Coca Cola. They’re as American as apple pie, and as Nicaraguan as gallo pinto.

In the only Latin American country where soccer isn’t number one, baseball is a very big deal. The only thing bigger is Flor de Caña, the country’s oldest and largest producer of rum. The two meet Coca Cola (the sugary kind) in dusty bleachers nationwide, where the drink of choice is the Nicaraguan six-pack: five Cokes and a 375-ml bottle of Flor de Caña.

If you’ve ever bemoaned the export of American junk culture (or the occupation of Nicaragua, or that little incident with the Contras …), consider this concoction Nicaragua’s sweet revenge. Coca Cola may have been born American, but it came of age abroad.

To recreate the experience at home, look for Mexican Coke or another brand of sugar cane cola in Latino community grocery stores, import stores like Cost Plus, or on Amazon. If you’re in an airport south of the border, you’ll probably find Flor de Caña in the duty free store. Otherwise it’s available through Crown Wine & Spirits—I like the 5 Year Black Label (5 Años Etiqueta Negra).

Two ounces of rum per bottle of Coke, a squeeze of lime, and you’re good to go. Drink it at room temperature if you want to be authentic. Add baseball to taste, and don’t forget to toast liquid imperialism.