El Especialista
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 16.1% ABV ∙
The El Especialista is a shaken rum sour built from white rum, fino sherry, lime, and sugar, given depth by a dash of Angostura bitters. Tart lime hits first, then the fino sherry's nutty dryness settles underneath, with a faint bitters spice lingering on a crisp, clean finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 60 mlFino sherry 20 mlLime juice 30 mlPowdered sugar 3 bspAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashesSalt 1 pinch
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
Tips
- Powdered sugar needs the whole shake to dissolve — shake hard rather than briefly, or it stays gritty in the glass.
- Shake hard with cubed ice for a full 12-15 seconds to dissolve sugar and chill the fino sherry's delicate oxidative notes without over-diluting.
- Add the pinch of salt directly into the shaker rather than as a rim, so it dissolves and rounds out the lime and bitters instead of biting.
- Fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass to remove ice shards, since the double citrus-sugar mix can carry small fragments through a single strain.
History
El Especialista was created by Italian bartender Livio Morena of Caffè Propaganda in Rome as his entry for the Bacardí Legacy Cocktail Competition, a global contest that challenges bartenders to design an original rum cocktail with the potential to become a modern classic. Morena's drink won the Italian national final of the 2016 edition, held in Lisbon, earning him a place at that year's international final in San Francisco. He described the drink as a personal tribute to family and to the people who shaped his life and career, built around a simple, rum-based recipe reflecting the style he and his colleagues at Caffè Propaganda had been developing.
FAQ
What is in an El Especialista?
White rum, fino sherry, fresh lime juice, powdered sugar, and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, shaken with a pinch of salt. The sherry is what sets this rum sour apart from a standard Daiquiri-style drink.
Is an El Especialista shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lime juice and powdered sugar need the vigorous aeration of a shake to dissolve and chill properly; stirring would leave it flat and undermixed.
What glass is an El Especialista served in?
A cocktail glass, served up after a hard shake and fine strain.
Is the El Especialista a strong drink?
It is moderate in strength, at about 16.1% ABV, which is lighter than a spirit-forward cocktail thanks to the lime, sugar, and lower-proof sherry sharing space with the rum.
