Lin-Manuel Miranda's Favorite Drink Is A Dreamy Latin Sipper

Before the Tony Award-winning, hit Broadway musical "Hamilton" took the world by storm in 2015 and had theater-lovers rapping about America's Founding Fathers, Lin-Manuel Miranda created another hip-hop musical in 2008 called "In the Heights." The triple-threat (writer, composer, and performer) set this play in Washington Heights, an upper Manhattan neighborhood like the one where he grew up, Inwood. In one song called "Piragua," a street vendor sings about selling the Puerto Rican shaved ice with fruit-flavored syrup. And while this treat offered by the fictional character may be a non-fictional neighborhood staple, piragua isn't Miranda's favorite fruity Latin delicacy. Instead, it's morir soñando. 

"Morir soñando is my favorite Latin drink," Miranda said in an interview with Bon Appétit. Translated, it means "to die dreaming," which sounds like a heavenly experience in beverage form. Comparable to a cool mango lassi or creamy Orange Julius, it is made with jugo de naranja, leche evaporada, y azúcar (orange juice, evaporated milk, and sugar). "It's fattening," he said, noting that he doesn't drink it quite as often as he used to, "but it's a delicious indulgence."

When Lin-Manuel Miranda does indulge in this frothy, fruity beverage, he likes to get it from an immigrant-owned "caridad," or Latin café, such as El Nuevo Caridad in Washington Heights. If you would also like to revel in this treat but don't live "in the Heights" or near a caridad, don't fret — you can easily make it at home. 

To start, you'll need two tablespoons of sugar, ½ cup of evaporated milk, and ½ cup of orange juice. Making fresh fruit juice always elevates a recipe, but any of these store-bought orange juice brands will work just fine. Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake it for about 20 seconds, or until the outside of the shaker is very cold to the touch. Next, strain it into a glass and garnish it with an orange wedge. For a more grown-up version of this drink, try adding a citrus liqueur such as Licor 43, which has notes of vanilla and other spices. Whichever way you have it, this chilled, foamy drink will taste like a dream.