When it comes to rum cocktails, there’s often a lot of sugar involved. That is in large part to tropical drink culture layering in the sugars and fruit juices. But, as with all cocktails, rum cocktails go far beyond just being tropical juice and sugar bombs.
Case in point, the El Presidente. This gem is the perfect, refined, and, dare we say, grown-up rum cocktail. Especially for a weekend that bridges winter and spring.
This drink goes back to Havana in the 1920s, a time and place where so many great cocktails were born. The drink has roots in the old colonial “presidents” of Cuba of the era but has a muddled history at best (no pun intended). Overall, the drink is built from white or light rum, bianco vermouth, orange liqueur, and a touch of grenadine.
This is an easy stirrer that you can master at home with a little practice. It’s also a deeply layered cocktail that feels like a level up on both your palate and cocktail mixing game. Let’s get into it!
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El Presidente
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. white rum
- 0.75 oz. bianco vermouth
- 0.25 oz. Grand Marnier
- 1 barspoon grenadine
- Ice
- Orange peel
Choose a good light/white rum for this cocktail. It’s the highlight of the drink and will shine through. I’m using Equiano Light Rum which has a nice balance of tropical fruit, sugar cane, and vanilla/wood notes.
Then there’s the vermouth. This drink calls for a bianco vermouth, not dry vermouth (they’re very different things). A bianco is the most refined white vermouth out there with a higher-quality wine at the base and more of a herbal/floral/vanilla vibe. Bianco vermouths also have a small dose of sugars added to make them a sort of bridge between dry vermouth and the darker sweet vermouth.
When it comes to the orange liqueur, I like to use Grand Marnier in this cocktail. It’s a cognac-based orange liqueur that has a deeper taste and color — which I think adds an extra little something to the overall drink. You can use triple sec if you have it on hand.
What You’ll Need:
- Coupe or cocktail glass
- Mixing jug
- Cocktail strainer
- Barspoon
- Jigger
- Pairing knife
Method:
- Prechill the glass in the freezer.
- Add the rum, vermouth, Grand Mariner, and grenadine to the mixing jug. Fill with ice about 1/2 and stir until the jug is ice-cold to touch (about 30 seconds).
- Strain the cocktail into the prechilled glass.
- Express the orange oils over the glass and rub the rim and stem of the glass with the peel. Trim the peel and make a twist for the rim of the glass. Serve.
Bottom Line:
There’s a lot going on with this cocktail but it all comes together so nicely. The nose draws you in with botanicals, florals, and that rush of vanilla. The taste has this slight rum vibe that’s just touched with berry sugars and orange. The whole thing feels elevated with real depth in every sip.
Overall, this feels like a drink you find at a serious cocktail party, and then you can’t stop making them for the next few months at home. It’s so diverse in its flavor profile from the barks to the florals to the rummy sugar cane that you’ll be hooked instantly.
