El Presidente
Cuban-style light rum, Chambéry blanc vermouth, curaçao and grenadine
The second Cuban classic, invented by 1915, possibly by Constante Ribalaigua in Havana, introducing the still-new Chambéry blanc-style vermouth to mixology.
Shown, above, is the recipe from the 1924 Manual del Cantinero, compiled by Cuban bartenders León Pujol and Oscar Muñiz. As with the Daiquiri, the reference to Ron Bacardí is for a style of Cuban rum that no longer exists—you’ll have to look for a quality filtered (colorless) rum distilled from molasses. The reference to “Chambery” is to a blanc-style vermouth from Chambéry, France.
El Presidente
Stir with ice:
- 1–1/2 oz light Cuban-style rum
- 1–1/2 oz Comoz Blanc Vermouth or Dolin Blanc Vermouth
- 1–2 dashes grenadine
Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with an orange twist and a cherry
Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, p. 247–8; barware icons courtesy of Haus Alpenz