Spending the holiday season in Los Cabos has many advantages. For starters, there’s no snow, no ice, no
sleet, no freezing winds. Instead, there is only sunshine, perfect for lazy days in a hammock at the nearest playa.
But it’s not just beautiful weather and luxurious beachfront resorts that make Los Cabos a savvy choice as a holiday getaway. There are also many charming cultural traditions that accompany the Christmas season in Mexico, among which are a trio of delicious drinks indelibly associated with seasonal celebrations.
The names may not be familiar, but all three are heartily recommended for yuletide toasts.
Noche Buena
Ice-cold Coronas are perfect for a day at the beach. But what beer goes with Christmas in Cabo?
That would be Noche Buena, a dark bock-style lager produced seasonally (October through December) by Cerveceria Cuahtemoc Moctezuma, the brewery behind such iconic Mexican beer brands as Dos Equis, Tecate, Sol, Carta Blanca, Indio and Bohemia (under whose imprint Noche Buena is issued).
Noche Buena is instantly recognizable to beer lovers by its label, which features red and green poinsettia, a flower linked in both name and color palette with Christmas. Poinsettia in Spanish, you see, is known as Nochebuena, as is Christmas Eve. Thus the beer, both in its distribution and imagery, is inextricably tied to the holiday season.
It’s also instantly recognizable by its taste, thanks to rich distinctive notes of malt, caramel and chocolate.
Although Cuahtemoc Moctezuma has been a subsidiary of Heineken International since 2010, Noche Buena is no longer exported to the U.S. So if you want to enjoy this outstanding seasonal brew, you’ll have to spend the holidays in Mexico, preferably in Los Cabos.
Rompope
How many potent alcoholic beverages have been invented by nuns? Just one that we know of: rompope.
This eggnog style sipper is said to have been invented by 17th century sisters at the Santa Clara convent in Puebla, and to this day the Santa Clara brand remains the most popular among national consumers.
Rompope is so beloved in Mexico that it is used as a flavor in candy and gelato, but the rum-spiked holiday drink remains the most iconic offering (although unlike Noche Buena, you don’t have to wait for the holiday season to buy it). It’s available year-round in stores, and can be served either room temperature or slightly chilled.
A rompope based cocktail called the monjita (“little nun”) was famously invented in Cabo San Lucas, and consists of a slightly chilled serving of rompope topped with a floater of coffee-flavored Kahlua.
It’s delicious.
Ponche Navideño
Christmas punch is a concept that seemingly knows no national boundaries. In Sweden, they call it glogg, an onamatopoetic name that mimics the sounds the spicy mulled wine makes as it slides down one’s throat. In Mexico, the name–ponche navideño–is much more straightforward. It means exactly what it is, a warm Christmas punch. And it does pack one, especially if you’re adding adult-friendly regional ingredients like tequila or mezcal.
At heart, though, this is a fruit based punch, and the fruits–particularly tejocotes–give it its unmistakable flavor. Tejocotes are sourced from a uniquely Mexican species of hawthorn trees that was only recently made legal for export to the U.S., although Americans are unlikely to find them (or try them) anywhere except Mexican holiday and Day of the Dead celebrations (when they’re popular as offerings to returning spirits).
Add apples, guavas, hibiscus flowers and cinnamon to your tejocote base, boil with water and cane sugar, spike with tequila or mezcal, and you’re ready to salute the season, Cabo style.
Better yet, let someone else make it for you, and deliver it straight to your hammock. You are on vacation, after all.
For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Photo credit: Rompope Santa Clara
Upcoming Events Calendar
November
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Nov. 1 – 2
Pelagic Rock Star Tuna Tournament – Nov. 1 – 3
Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 Half-Triathlon – Nov. 3
Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 3 – 16
21st WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 6 – 9
Luxe Life Los Cabos Jazz Experience – Nov. 7 – 11
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28
Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 13 – 17
52nd Annual Baja 1000 – Nov. 19 – 24
Sabor a Cabo International Food & Wine Festival – Nov. 30
December
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26
Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8
Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12
Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
January
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16
Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19
La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20
February
Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27
Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9
San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced
Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15
20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24
Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25
March
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26
Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14
East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15
Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced
El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced
Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced
April
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11
NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24
Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced
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