El Presidente
Shake ∙ Coupe glass ∙ 3 min ∙ 25.3% ABV ∙
The El Presidente is a Cuban rum cocktail of light gold rum, vermouth, orange curaçao, and a touch of grenadine, stirred up and served straight up. Silky and lightly sweet, with mellow gold rum, herbaceous vermouth, and a whisper of orange and pomegranate on a clean, dry finish — an elegant aperitif.
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
- Use only a few drops of grenadine — enough to blush the drink pink without tipping it into sweet.
- The original calls for hard-to-find blanc vermouth; dry vermouth, as used here, gives a crisper result.
- Chill the coupe in the freezer first so the served-up drink stays cold without dilution.
- A single orange twist expressed over the surface adds the citrus lift that defines the drink.
History
The El Presidente rose to prominence in Havana between the 1920s and 1940s, when American Prohibition sent drinkers south, and it became a favorite of the Cuban upper class. The cocktail's namesake is disputed: some sources point to Mario García Menocal, president from 1913 to 1921, others to Gerardo Machado, president from 1925 to 1933. Its inventor is equally contested. One account credits American bartender Eddie Woelke, who is said to have named it after Menocal after arriving in Havana around 1920; another holds it was created as early as 1915, before Woelke arrived, possibly at the Vista Alegre or by Menocal himself. President Machado later gave Pan American Airways exclusive rights to fly the Florida–Havana route, which may be why Pan Am served a variation known as the Clipper cocktail on their larger planes.
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. The original Havana recipe called for blanc (Chambéry) vermouth, but the drink is commonly made with dry vermouth, as this version is.
What kind of alcohol is El Presidente?
El Presidente is a rum cocktail. Its base spirit is light gold rum, rounded out with dry vermouth, orange curaçao liqueur, and grenadine, for a drink of about 25% ABV served up in a coupe.
What rum is best for an El Presidente?
A light gold (añejo) Cuban-style rum is traditional, giving mellow body without overpowering the vermouth. A clean aged rum works better than a heavy dark rum, which would bury the drink's delicate orange and pomegranate notes.
Is an El Presidente shaken or stirred?
It is stirred with ice and strained, then served straight up. Stirring keeps this spirit-and-vermouth drink silky and clear rather than aerated. Some bartenders shake it, but stirring best suits its elegant, aperitif character.
What glass is an El Presidente served in?
An El Presidente is served straight up in a chilled coupe glass, garnished with a twist of orange peel and sometimes a cherry. Serving it up, without ice, keeps the presentation crisp and traditional.
