Cancha Cocktail Recipe (Cuban Classic Drink)

Name: Cancha Cocktail Recipe
Prep time: 4 min
Total time: 4 min
Ingredients: 45 ml (1½ oz) light Cuban rum (or any good unaged or lightly aged rum); 22.5 ml (¾ oz) honey syrup (2:1); 22.5 ml (¾ oz) lime juice (freshly squeezed); regular shape ice cubes

Last updated on 26th November 2023

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Cancha is a refreshing Cuban cocktail made with only three ingredients: light rum, honey syrup and fresh lime juice. The Cancha cocktail is a modern variation of the Canchanchara, the authentic first Cuban cocktail. It is a real crowd-pleaser in summer parties and an easy option to make at home for the enjoyment of a cool, perfectly balanced drink.

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What is the Cancha cocktail?

Cancha is a modern and shorter name for the Canchanchara cocktail. Canchanchara was a boozy concoction originated in Cuba during the independence wars against Spain in the 19^th century. The drink was a combination of aguardiente de caña (a distilled liquor similar to rum), citrus juice and honey. It served the Cuban fighters as a means for body-warming (no ice available in those days) and ailment alleviation during the long seasons living in the wild woodlands where battle was fought. Canchanchara is often recognised as Cuba’s first original cocktail, even though it wasn’t invented in a busy bar, served in a fancy cup… 🙄

In the Cancha cocktail variation, the aguardiente is replaced by rum; the citrus element could be lime juice or lemon juice or a combo of both, and the honey… Well, honey has always been the same, but its thick consistency makes it difficult to dilute so making a honey syrup seems appropriate.

Is the Cancha a sour cocktail or a daiquiri?

Firstly, why the question? The reason is that I have been trying to classify this cocktail for you to be able to compare it to some favourites within the same class, hopefully making it a new favourite.

Cancha or Canchanchara is one of many Cuban cocktails that fit the ‘sour cocktails’ class. These drinks usually contain two parts of a strong element (spirits such as rum, whisky, etc), one part of a sour element (lime juice, lemon juice, etc) and one part of a sweet element (sugar syrup, honey, etc). Despite they are called ‘sour cocktails’, the aim is to obtain a perfect balance of sweet and tart that lime juice and sugar achieve more frequently than not.

What if we say that the Cancha is a type of daiquiri? Perhaps we can say it. The basic Daiquiri is a light rum-based cocktail, with lime juice and sugar syrup. That’s it! Swap the sugar syrup for honey syrup and we have the Cancha. In the recipe below, I prefer it stirred and served on the rocks instead of shaken and served straight up.

So, the answer is that the Cancha cocktail can be a sour cocktail and may also be considered as part of the daiquiri family. Some may even argue that daiquiris themselves are, in fact, sour cocktails. In any case, if you love to drink daiquiris or sour cocktails, give a try to the Cancha cocktail. You won’t be disappointed!

Cocktails similar to the Cancha or Canchanchara

I looked for other cocktails with the same ingredients as the Cancha in similar proportions. For example the Honeysuckle. This cocktail is often know as “honey daiquiri”, and sometimes includes orange juice. Another is the Brooklynite cocktail, which some prefer to shake with bitters added. Both variations of the Cancha cocktail are depicted in the book “Cuban Cocktails: 100 Classic and Modern Drinks” by Ravi DeRossi, Jane Danger and Alla Lapushchik, creators of former New York’s Cuban-themed bar “Cienfuegos”.

How to make the Cancha or Canchanchara

Make the honey syrup: To a small saucepan, add two parts of honey for one part of water: 100 ml of runny honey and 50 ml of hot water will suffice. Place the pan on the hobs over low heat. Stir the honey and water for a few seconds until combined. Remove from the heat and pour into a clean repurposed glass bottle. Let it cool down at ambience temperature before placing in the fridge.

Make the cocktail: To a mixing glass, add 22.5 ml (¾ oz) of honey syrup and 22.5 ml (¾ oz) of freshly squeezed lime juice. Without adding any ice, combine the two ingredients very well stirring with a spoon.

Add four to five ice cubes to the mixing glass. Then pour 45 ml (1½ oz) of light rum. Stir the liquid in the mixing glass for 15 to 20 seconds.

To a lowball glass, add four to five cubes of ice. Then strain the liquid through a cocktail strainer or a fine mesh sieve into the lowball glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and enjoy. Cheers!

Top Tips and Fat Facts

For the Cancha cocktail I prefer light rum. It makes the drink crispy and punchy whilst keeping a good balance of citrus and honey. In contrast, an aged rum is normally richer and smoother. It can step over the other flavours and unbalance a little bit in favour of the sweet side. But feel free to try with your rum of choice.

Light rum refers to the unaged or lightly aged (up to 3 years) spirit, the one that is most commonly called “white” rum. But is it white rum the same as light rum? Not necessarily. There are “white” coloured rums that are aged whilst others are not aged at all, hence colour it is not a definitive clue for you to pick the right rum for your drink. For an in-depth explanation I recommend this illustrative video by American bartender and YouTuber Anders Erickson.

Use the remaining honey syrup for other cocktails or more Canchas! The syrup keeps well in the fridge for a few days to a week.

Last but not least, enjoy your cocktail and drink with moderation.