Cocktail recipe
El Presidente
A Havana-era rum cocktail: silky, gently orange-scented and just kissed with grenadine.
Ingredients
- 45 ml (1½ oz) aged white rum
- 30 ml (1 oz) blanc vermouth
- 15 ml (½ oz) dry orange curaçao
- 5 ml (1 tsp) grenadine
- Garnish: 1 orange twist
Preparation
Stir rum, blanc vermouth, curaçao and grenadine over hard ice until clear and cold. Strain into a chilled coupe, express orange peel across the surface and discard or perch the twist neatly on the rim. Do not shake; the satin texture is the signature.
Glassware
Chilled coupe
History
El Presidente rose to prominence in Havana during the 1920s, when American Prohibition visitors encountered Cuba's thriving hotel and nightclub culture. Bartender Eddie Woelke is frequently credited with developing it, but early-creation claims and the exact venue are contested. Even the presidential dedication is disputed: Mario García Menocal (president 1913–21) and Gerardo Machado (1925–33) both appear in retellings. Historical recipes use white or amber rum and sometimes dry vermouth rather than the softer blanc vermouth favoured by many contemporary bartenders. The named original inventor remains unresolved.
Mixology View
This is a contemporary blanc-vermouth house interpretation, not an authenticated first Havana recipe. Its grace depends on keeping the grenadine almost invisible and letting rum and orange lead.