El Floridita Cocktail
There once was a bar in Cuba known as “La Piña de Plata” (The Silver Pineapple). Right around 1900, the name was changed to “El Floridita”, where it was a popular libation point for thirsty travelers from all points of the world. Ernest Hemingway claimed this was one of his favorite bars, and was regularly seen sipping one of the many variations on the Daiquiri that this bar was famous for.
The El Floridita cocktail was one of the many house specialty drinks that was served at this still popular Cuban bar, but it is not so well known anymore, being very much overshadowed by its more simplified sibling The Daiquiri.
El Floridita Cocktail
- 1 1/2 ounces rum
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1/2 teaspoon white crème de cacao
- 1/2 teaspoon grenadine
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
The secret to this drink is measuring carefully. Too much lime juice will quickly overpower it, and be especially careful with the white crème de cacao and the grenadine. When finished, there should be just barely a hint of chocolate flavor spreading throughout the drink. It should be so timid in fact that it almost requires somebody to tell you it is there for you to notice it.
You will also notice that the recipe as listed is quite small when compared to some of the more “modern” recipes you might be using. Once made, this drink will consist of about 3 1/2 ounces of total liquid. Instead of scaling this recipe up to fit those mondo 10 ounce cocktail glasses you might have, I’d recommend investing in a few smaller glasses of the 4 to 5 ounce variety. There are several advantages to such smaller glassware, one is that the drink won’t have time to warm up as you sip it, but more importantly is that you’ll have a chance to experiment with several drinks a night without ill effects.
[…] Ever since I read about “real” grenadine on the Slashfood, I’ve been itching to try it. Lo and behold, I found a bottle in the endcap at my local grocery store. Even though I am morally opposed to impulse buying, I snagged a bottle. At $6 for 12 ounces, it costs about twice as much as Rose’s “fakey” grenadine. A taste test revealed almost no resemblance between the dueling grenadines. But I think both have something to offer. Rose’s grenadine has a stronger candy flavor, and just screams “Roy Rodgers!”. But that certainly has its place. The Stirrings grenadine tasted sharper, with a definite tinge of pomegranate pith. It’s also much less viscous than Rose’s, even though Stirrings includes pectin as a thickener. Although I haven’t tried it, I’d bet money (or yarn) that the “real” grenadine won’t layer as well as the fake stuff, and a bead of grenadine at the bottom of a martini glass is a great visual element. So my verdict is that there is a place for both grenadines in your bar, although “real” grenadine has to be refrigerated after opening, so I’m planning to use it up quickly. Grenadine is an integral component of the El Floridita cocktail, which is kind of odd tasting, but a fun departure from the usual Manhattans and cosmopolitans. And you gotta love a drink with a cherry in it. Next step - homemade grenadine. I’m betting this will turn out to be even better (and cheaper) than my impulse purchase. […]