August Ritual · Rue-Infused Cane Liquor
Caña con Ruda
Photo: Regions / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tradition says the shot, taken on an empty stomach on August 1st, protects you from the colds, hunger and bad luck of August, historically the hardest month of the southern winter.
Caña con ruda is Paraguay's cane liquor (caña) infused for days or weeks with sprigs of ruda (rue), a bitter herb long used in folk medicine. Each August 1st, across Paraguay and northeastern Argentina, people take a small shot of it before breakfast, poured at kiosks and homes alike.
Why it's made this way: The custom traces back to Guaraní plant medicine and earth-honoring observances, making it one of the few Paraguayan drinking traditions tied to a fixed calendar date rather than daily habit.
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