The Optimist
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 21% ABV ∙
The Optimist is a shaken rum sour rinsed with an herbal liqueur and finished with lime, ginger, honey, and fresh basil. Bright and silky with a crisp citrus snap, a whisper of herbal perfume clings to the glass while cool cucumber lingers on the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rinse the chilled glass with Herbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) and set aside
- Shake the remaining ingredients with ice: White rum 60 mlLime juice 20 mlGinger syrup 5 mlHoney syrup 5 mlFresh basil leaves 8 pcs
- Fine strain into rinsed glass
- Garnish with a cucumber slice
Tips
- Rinse the pre-chilled glass with the herbal liqueur and set it aside — a coating is enough; a full pour would overpower the rum and basil.
- Warm the honey syrup slightly if it seizes in the cold shaker, so it blends smoothly instead of clumping.
- Shake hard and fine-strain to catch the basil leaves, leaving a clean, leaf-free pour.
History
The Optimist was created by bartender Devender Sehgal of Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong, who won the Hong Kong and Macau final of the 2015 Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition with the drink. His build paired Bacardi white rum with lime juice, homemade ginger and honey syrups, and fresh basil, finished with a rinse of Yellow Chartreuse in the glass. Sehgal said the name paid tribute to the spirit of the Bacardi family, who kept producing rum through difficult times with what he called a spirit of true optimism. The cocktail went on to represent Hong Kong at the competition's global final in Sydney that year, where the overall title was won by a different entrant.
