The four bartenders behind Experimental Cocktail Club published a compendium of recipes from their four international locations: Paris, London, New York and Ibiza, Spain. While the Ibiza cocktails certainly lent themselves to summer drinking, I was swayed by a cocktail from a section inspired by the bartenders’ friends: Julien Gualdoni’s St. Nicholas Manhattan, billed as “a Bajan twist on a Manhattan,” perfect for blue waters and white sands.
Assembly was simple; mix Barbados rum, sweet vermouth, coconut water and bitters, freeze until cold enough to survive the hottest Caribbean afternoon, then pour into a glass. The ingredients were the trickiest part, and I did have to swap the rum for something more accessible. I settled for 5-year-old Barbados rum. It was less expensive, and if I do get my hands on a good 12-year-old bottle, I’ll sip it neat, not diluted with coconut water.
It’s a boozy concoction, and one I’ll gladly sip on a hot day. Freezing the drink rather than shaking over ice gave it a thick, syrupy mouth feel, and the sharp bitters kept the sweet rum and coconut water from overpowering the palate. The best part: no need to shake up another round. It’s a batch cocktail – just refill your glass and dream of Caribbean waters.
Skill level: Medium. While there are definitely more complex recipes in this book, it was nowhere near the complexity of The Dead Rabbit.
This book is for: The globetrotting cocktail connoisseur
Other recipes to try: Brazilian Prescription, Pineapple Express
The verdict: Despite this cocktail’s simplicity and balance, in the middle of a hot summer day, all we really want is a cool piña colada sipped from a coconut. Cuban Cocktails takes the crown.
St. Nicholas Manhattan
5 to 6 servings
470 ml. (16 oz.) St. Nicholas Abbey 12-year-old rum
235 ml. (8 oz.) Cinzano Rosso
470 ml. (16 oz.) coconut water
6 dashes Angostura bitters
• Mix all the ingredients together, stir well and store in the freezer.
• Once well chilled, pour straight into a chilled coupette and garnish with a twist of pared orange rind.
Reprinted with permission from Octopus Publishing Group
This article appears in May 2016.