El Presidente (Dry Vermouth)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 21.7% ABV ∙
The El Presidente is a Cuban rum cocktail of light gold rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and a touch of grenadine, shaken and served straight up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Light gold rum 50 mlDry vermouth 30 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 10 mlGrenadine syrup 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled coupe glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stop at 5 ml of grenadine. That's enough to blush the drink pink without making it sweet.
- Some early recipes call for blanc vermouth; dry vermouth, as used here, gives a crisper result.
History
El Presidente is a rum cocktail associated with Havana, where it earned its reputation through the 1920s and 1930s during American Prohibition, becoming a favorite among the Cuban elite. The earliest known recipe appeared in 1915 in John B. Escalante's Havana bar manual, the Manual del Cantinero, and by 1919 the New York Evening Telegram was already calling it the favorite drink of the Cubans. Accounts also differ on who it was named for, citing either Mario García Menocal, Cuban president from 1913 to 1921, or Gerardo Machado, president from 1925 to 1933.
Its creator is disputed as well. Some credit American bartender Eddie Woelke, though accounts of where he worked in Havana differ: the Jockey Club, the Sevilla Biltmore Hotel, or the Hotel Nacional. Cocktail historian David Wondrich considers Constantino Ribalaigua Vert of El Floridita the more likely inventor.
FAQ
What's in an El Presidente cocktail?
An El Presidente is made with light gold rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and a small amount of grenadine. Some early Havana recipes call for blanc vermouth instead.
What kind of alcohol is El Presidente?
A rum cocktail. Light gold rum is the base, with dry vermouth, orange curaçao liqueur, and a little grenadine, for a drink of about 22% ABV.
What rum is best for an El Presidente?
A light gold Cuban-style rum is traditional: it has enough body to carry the drink without overpowering the vermouth. A clean aged rum also works; a heavy dark rum would bury the orange and pomegranate notes.
Is an El Presidente shaken or stirred?
Shaken: the rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and grenadine are shaken with ice, fine-strained and served straight up. Some bartenders stir it instead for a silkier, clearer drink.
What glass is an El Presidente served in?
Straight up in a chilled coupe glass, garnished with an orange twist.
