As this is a tropical island country, it’s no surprise to find a good selection of refreshing traditional, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the Dominican Republic, but, there's even more on offer than you would imagine.
Our Dominican drinks recipes list is some of the most extensive and popular recipe collections in our blog. The Caribbean islands are famous for their tropical fruits and refreshing drinks are hugely popular. The Dominican Republic is no exception, but we also have an unexpectedly large variety of beverages that don't necessarily fit within the fruity and "exotic" category.
Check out this complete guide to our most popular traditional Dominican drinks, with recipes from hot drinks to tisanes, from fruit juices to alcoholic beverages, fruit smoothies and milkshakes, and more
5 Dominican smoothies
Naturally, we had to start with these. Batidas (batidos or licuados in other Spanish-speaking countries) are very popular drinks in the Dominican Republic.
Instead of breakfast or dinner, we drink these blended iced fruit drinks as a mid-morning or afternoon snack or – accompanied by a delicious cheese sandwich – as a light meal.
Here are our favorite and most popular batidas:
10 Dominican juices
Fruit juices are a staple of tropical island countries, and ours is no exception. With our wealth of Dominican fruits, the options are endless. Enjoy some of our favorite non-alcoholic drinks.
We have some lovely fruit juice recipes that are a childhood classic, refreshing and nutritious. There are some healthful vegetable and fruit juices; our champolas are also fruit juices by another name and are wonderful childhood classics.
If you're looking for Dominican drinks with milk, enjoy Morir soñando, the most popular drink in the Dominican Republic.
- Jugo de Remolacha y Naranja o Limón (Beetroot Juice)
- Jugo de Zanahoria y Naranja (Carrot and Orange Juice)
- Jugo de Cereza Dominicana (Acerola Juice)
- Champola de Tamarindo (Tamarind Juice)
- Champola de Guanábana (Dominican Soursop Juice)
- Ponche de Frutas (Fruit Punch
- Jugo de Avena (Oats and Milk Cold Drink)
- Pera-Piña (Rice and Pineapple Juice).
- Morir Soñando (Milk and Orange Juice Drink)
- Jugo de Avena (Oats and Milk Cold Drink)
7 Dominican alcoholic drinks
The Dominican Republic is known for the quality of our rum, and we have some brands of good beer too. But some homemade alcoholic drinks are quite popular in our country.
These Dominican alcoholic drink recipes are some that you can make at home: On one end, Mamajuana is one of the most famous Dominican drinks, with its unusual combination of tree bark, spices, and odd ingredients. On the other side of the spectrum, the Guavaberry bequeathed to us by Cocolos, descendants of British West Indies immigrants, was made famous by Juan Luís Guerra and 440, and now we show you how to make it.
Christmas is not complete without our traditional Ponches.
In case you're wondering, the legal drinking age in the Dominican Republic is 18.
2 Dominican herbal teas
Herbal teas and tisanes are an important part of the Dominican popular pharmacopeia, and even if they don’t always have the properties they are purported to have, they still make soothing, warming beverages.
Delicious and bone-warming, tisanas are grandma's go-to solution for "the sniffles" and a comforting hot drink. This sweet, lemony herbal tea will make those chilly and miserable days more bearable.
Té de jengibre is one of our delicious Christmas traditions when temperatures drop. Even in the Dominican Republic, we sometimes need an invigorating hot drink. That peppery ginger flavor packs a powerful punch!
6 Dominican hot drinks
While cold drinks are more popular in our country, for obvious reasons, we also enjoy hot drinks during the cooler time of the year, or as part of breakfast or dinner. Check out our hot breakfast drink recipes.
Be aware that Dominicans use the word "chocolate" (both chocolate and cocoa in Spanish) to describe a number of cocoa-like hot drinks that may or may not contain chocolate.
We love our bone-warming, aromatic, and spiced "chocolates" to start our mornings, but would equally enjoy a cup of or a thick and comforting avena or ponche. Our followers on social media always shower us with comments about great childhood memories of enjoying these drinks.
2 Dominican fermented drinks (mabí)
Fermented drinks, which we call mabí or guarapos, are very popular in the Dominican Republic. They are very refreshing, lightly sparkling as a result of the fermentation process, and a great way to cool down.
Although fermented, the alcohol content is negligible, so even children can drink them. Guarapos (nearly-always homemade) are made from fruits, while mabí is made from the bark of a vine called "bejuco indio" (Colubrina elliptica). Mabí is seldom made at home. This invigorating drink is said to have medicinal properties.
Learn how to make guarapos by following our simple recipes. Refreshing at any time of the day, they are a great alternative to soft drinks.
Did you find the recipe you were looking for? Did we miss any? Do you have a favorite? We'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Salud!
Published Oct 7, 2020, and last revised
