Jugo de Caña

Jugo de Caña (sugarcane juice) is one of the most refreshing and authentic drinks you can enjoy in the Dominican Republic. Fresh sugarcane stalks are fed through a hand-cranked or motorized press that extracts the sweet, pale green juice, which is served immediately over ice, often with a squeeze of fresh lime to balance the sweetness.

Sugarcane is deeply woven into Dominican history and economy — the country was one of the first places in the Americas where sugarcane was cultivated, and the sugar industry shaped centuries of Dominican economic and social life. Drinking fresh jugo de caña connects visitors to this agricultural heritage in the most direct way possible.

Sugarcane juice stands are found throughout the country, from busy Santo Domingo street corners to quiet rural roadsides. The juice is remarkably refreshing — sweet and earthy with a clean, grassy flavor that is nothing like refined sugar. It is a natural energy drink that has sustained Dominican workers for centuries, and watching the cane stalks being crushed through the press is a quintessential Dominican roadside experience.