El Presidente
Aged rum, dry vermouth, orange curaçao and a little grenadine, stirred and served up. Dry, smooth and subtle.
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Coupe
- Strength
- 2.2 UK units
How to make an El Presidente
- Chill the glass. Put a coupe in the freezer, or fill it with ice and water while you stir.
- Combine over ice. Add the rum, dry vermouth, curaçao and grenadine to a mixing glass and fill it with ice.
- Stir. Stir for about 30 seconds, until the outside of the glass is frosted and cold.
- Strain and garnish. Strain into the chilled coupe. Squeeze an orange peel over the top, skin side down, then drop it in.
- Glass
- CoupeNo coupe? A martini glass or small wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Orange twistOr: A cocktail cherry.
What you need to make an El Presidente
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Mixing glassAny sturdy jug or pint glass works.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Vegetable peelerFor wide strips of peel with little pith.
Bottles we'd use
- Aged rumSomething smooth and unsweetened like Diplomático Reserva or Plantation 5 Year.Find it on Amazon
- Dry vermouthNoilly Prat is the standard; keep it in the fridge once opened.Find it on Amazon
- Orange curaçaoPierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is drier than most.Find it on Amazon
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El Presidente variations and swaps
Short of dry vermouth? Use 20 ml of blanc vermouth. It makes a sweeter, rounder drink. For a drier, firmer one, use 50 ml of rum and 15 ml of dry vermouth. No orange curaçao? Use 10 ml of triple sec and cut the grenadine to half a barspoon, because triple sec is sweeter. A real pomegranate grenadine tastes better than the bright red kind and gives a cleaner colour. Taste it, then adjust the vermouth in 5 ml steps.
The El Presidente story
El Presidente is a Havana cocktail from the early twentieth century, named for a Cuban president. Accounts disagree about which one, and no one has proved the story. It appears in the recipe books of the era in several forms, some dry and some much sweeter.
It is a stirred drink built like a Manhattan, but with rum and dry vermouth. The grenadine is there for colour and a hint of fruit, so measure it carefully: too much and the drink goes sticky. A good aged rum matters more than any other part.
El Presidente: your questions answered
What is in an El Presidente?
An El Presidente is made with 40 ml aged rum, 20 ml dry vermouth, 10 ml orange curaçao and grenadine. Garnish: orange twist.
Is an El Presidente shaken or stirred?
An El Presidente is stirred, not shaken. Stirring with ice chills and dilutes it while keeping the drink clear and smooth. Shaking would cloud it and add tiny air bubbles, which suits citrus drinks but not this one.
How strong is an El Presidente?
Made to this recipe, an El Presidente contains about 2.2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve an El Presidente in?
Serve an El Presidente in a coupe. No coupe? A martini glass or small wine glass.
