rum Archives • LiquorAlchemy

Improving the Cuba Libre and the Gin & Tonic

These two are the drinks that probably everyone knows - the Cuba Libre and the Gin & Tonic. In the past, there has even been some argument as to whether they are cocktails or not. I would argue that the Gin & Tonic is not - at least not in its simplest form. By contrast, the Cuba Libre is (it contains lime juice in addition to rum and coke). In any case, they are dead simple longdrinks and while they are excellent in principle (I do not want to doubt that), one might wish for a bit more complexity at times. Today, we will consider two recipes that…

Caballito Cocktail = The Aperitif Mojito

Are there cocktails that everyone enjoys? Probably not. However, there are definitely some that one can rightfully call crowd pleasers. And it is without doubt that one of them is the oh so legendary Mojito. The Mojito really is a "highball Daiquiri" with the addition of mint and a true Cuban classic. Now if I had to think of a "cocktail category" that I am most interested in, that would be aperitifs. And quite clearly so. Today, I would like to present a hybrid of aperitifs and Mojitos: The Caballito cocktail, sometimes called the Caballito Mojito. How is this an aperitif? As Wikipedia tells us, Aperitifs are beverages…

The Zombie Cocktail – The Prototypical Tiki Drink

When thinking about Tiki drinks, there are many that immediately come to mind: the Mai Tai, the Planters' Punch, the Painkiller, and so on and so forth. One of these is the Zombie cocktail, a drink that I like to think of as the "Long Island Iced Tea among all Tiki drinks". Today, we are going to check it out. What the hell is Tiki? Generally speaking, Tiki is a style of fashion that became particularly popular during the 1950s and -60s. It lends itself to every culture found in the South Seas as well as in the Caribbean, from Jamaica to Hawaii and the Easter Islands. However,…

Making an “authentic” Negroni – but it’s Tiki!

The classic Negroni - despite some controversy it can be called the "king of aperitivo". Despite its simple composition, being equal parts of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, it is hugely popular and a very interesting template for bartenders and mixologists to create new recipes. As I can call it my favorite drink with certainty, what better way to start off this cocktail blog than with a fun variation. Most people will think of a classic Negroni as being bitter, herbaceous and complex. Most of the times, it uses a London dry gin, Campari and a standard sweet vermouth (e. g. Antica Formula or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino).…