El Presidente

Patrick Spears / Supercall
Patrick Spears / Supercall

During Prohibition, Americans escaped their dry confines to vacation in Cuba, where they were free to sip rum and cocktails. The Cubans weren’t too fond of their northern neighbor’s mixed drinks, though, until the El Presidente cocktail came along. Some say that American bartender Eddie Woelke invented the drink at Havana’s Jockey Club, where it was beloved by locals and tourists alike. What we do know for sure is the cocktail gained massive stateside popularity at El Chico in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. A simple mix of white rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and just a dash of grenadine, it’s a classic that deserves another turn in the spotlight.

El Presidente

FLAVOR PROFILE
Sweet, Dry
STRENGTH
DIFFICULTY
easy

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 oz White rum
  • .75 oz Dry vermouth
  • .5 oz Orange curaçao
  • 1 dash Hibiscus grenadine
  • Orange peel

INSTRUCTIONS

Step one

Combine all ingredients save for the orange peel in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold.

Step two

Strain into a chilled coupe.

Step three

Express an orange peel above the cocktail and drop it in the drink.

Contributed by Supercall