034 – El Presidente

Sydney Covid ‘lock-down’ exploration of the pre-Prohibition ‘El Presidente’ cocktail.

Lockdown has inspired me to explore this famous cocktail. Let’s take a look at the classic ‘El Presidente’ cocktail, and explore some of the cocktail’s history and construction and how important the right ingredients are to most cocktails.

Make your own ‘mix-at-home’ Locktail, the Cuban ‘El Presidente’ cocktail.

METHOD – Add 45ml White Cuban Rum (Havana Club or Bacardi), 45ml Dolin Blanc Vermouth (Vermouth de Chembéry – really must be this specific Vermouth, see details here), 10ml Orange Curacao (or Red Curacao if you can source it), 5ml Grenadine Syrup (a barspoon or less – for colour only), and 4-to-6 dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters No.6 (or Angostura Orange Bitters – orange only), and some additional fresh orange zest if desired into a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and then strain into a Coupe or into a Double Rocks over a large cube or sphere of ice. Garnish with some Orange Peel.

HISTORICAL NOTES – An early description of the recipe appears in the ‘New York Evening Telegram’ in 1919, using Bacardi, Granatin and French Vermouth. This corresponds with the short intervening period between the end of World War One (1918) and the start of US Prohibition (1920–1933).

The most convincing creation story, is that it was created in Havana, Cuba by Constante Ribalaigua Vert (1888–1952), the Head Bartender of the cafe ‘El Floridita’ (know as Little Florida) in Cuba, in honour of the then Cuban President, Mario García Menocal (b1866 – d1941, President from 1913 to 1921), who was also apparently a cocktail fan. Constante was known as “El Rey de los Coteleros“, the ‘Cocktail King of Cuba’, and in 1939 published the book “Cocktails: La Bar Florida”. He is estimated to have created around 200 cocktails and adjusted many others, including the creation of the Papa Doble or ‘Hemingway Daiquiri’ for Ernest Hemingway, who’s favorite Cuban Bar was the ‘El Floridita’.

The issue with other ‘El Presidente’ origin stories, such as US Bartender Eddie Woelke, is that they post-date the 1919 print evidence for Constante Ribalaigua Vert. Eddie avoided the US prohibition period, moving to Cuba in 1919 to run the Sevilla Biltmore Hotel and may have refined and promoted the ‘El Presidente’ cocktail, including the addition of some Curacao, therefore holding some credit for the ‘El Presidente’ and its growing popularity.

The ‘El Presidente’ was very popular in Cuba, and later in the USA during and after Prohibition. It may have been the shift in Vermouth styles that ultimately killed the popularity of this cocktail. Like so many Vermouth dominant cocktails, it is almost totally dependent upon the semi-sweet ‘Vermouth de Chembéry’ for its flavour success. David Wondrich wrote a brilliant piece on his own re-discovery of this cocktail in 2012 for Imbibe Magazine, that you can see online here.

THE OFFICIAL MIX – The ‘El Presidente’ is not on any of the International Bartender Association (IBA) official cocktail lists, and it is hard to point to a single version that could be called ‘official’, as the cocktail has evolved and changed over time. Even as far back as the 1920’s, Eddie Woelke altered the recipe, seemingly for the new Cuban President, after 1921. The only thing that seems ‘official’ is the use of Vermouth de Chembéry (Dolin Blanc) and Cuban White Rum.

TASTING NOTES – My first few attempts at this cocktail were unimpressive, using recipes I found for more recent versions of the ‘El Presidente’ cocktail. The key is the right Vermouth, as is often the case with Vermouth dominant cocktails. There is only one choice as far as I can see, and that is Vermouth de Chembéry (today known as Dolin Blanc). It is important that the Vermouth is clear, dry, but also sweet. The Chembéry region Vermouth combines perfectly with Cuban Rum, especially quality and aged varieties of Cuban White Rum.

Then there is the issue of the citrus. Red Curacao has given way to Orange and even worse Blue. Orange is too sweet, and the colour is wrong, hence the addition of Grenadine which makes the sweetness problem even more pronounce. The answer is either find Red Curacao and drop the Grenadine altogether, or bring some bitterness and orange notes back with Regans’ Orange Bitters (or Angostura Orange Bitters – not regular Angostura) and some additional orange zest oil and/or soaked rind. Then we have a very elegant and well balanced cocktail – almost in the realm of a ‘White Rum Negroni’, only less bitter.

LOCKTAIL CHANGES – As you can see from the ‘Tasting Notes’ above, my main ‘Lock-tail’ adjustment is to add some Orange Bitters and Orange Rind, mostly to counter the sweetness of the Grenadine until I can source some Red Curacao.

The other important thing with the ‘El Presidente’, is it must be Dolin Blanc (Vermouth de Chembéry).

YOUR LOCKTAIL EXPERIENCE – If you’d rather taste than read, I am progressively building an ingredient list and other sourcing information on this site. I will re-use ingredients where I can (good for my budget too), so that the cost goes down overtime if you are ‘playing at home’.

Let me know what you think.

Cocktails you’d like reinvented.

Recipes you’ve tried and your ‘score’.

This is the fourth of the 1921-1930 (‘roaring twenties’) bracket of ‘Locktail’ remixes. Full list in the index.