'This prohibition-era cocktail uses Light Cuban Rum, Simple Syrup, Orange Curaçao, Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters, Lime Zest and Mint. It\'s an embellished version of the classic Bourbon Old Fashioned (https://youtu.be/7beRz3cAT4Q), that\'s been given the Cuban Cantinero flair. The Cuban Old Fashioned is not the same thing as a Rum Old Fashioned. That\'s a common, modern myth that a Cuban Old Fashioned just means that its an Old Fashioned with rum. You could make this drink with Rye, Brandy, Genever, Bourbon, Singani, Tequila, Scotch, Cachaca, etc. So, it\'s slightly confusing in this case, because I\'m using rum in this drink. However, the Cuban Old Fashioned is a style of Old Fashioned, so you can plug a different base spirit in there and it would still be a Cuban Old Fashioned. Technically speaking, this should be called a Prohibition-Era, Cuban-style, Old Fashioned with rum, but who wants to say all that? The characteristics that distinguish the drink as a Cuban Old Fashioned is the little flair, the seasoning of the drink, in particular it is the dash of Orange Curaçao, Lime Zest and Mint Leaf. Those additions earn it the name. These additions to drinks were a common practice by the Cuban Cantineros (local Cuban bartenders) of the 1920\'s/1930\'s. During that time, when Cuba\'s northern neighbor was knee deep in the Noble Experiment, a lot of Yankee bartenders flew south to Cuba to be able to ply their trade legally. The Yankee bartenders had relationships with the owners of a lot of the big hotels and restaurants, especially those frequented by the US tourists looking to get their drink on. This meant that the Cubans had to step up their game and go the extra mile to compete with the influx of immigrant labor into their workforce. As Belgian cocktail writer and historian, François Monti, put it, Cantineros of this time were as elegant, refined and skilled as Japanese bartenders are today. They formed Club de Cantineros in 1924, which was a coalition of Cuban Cantineros whose mission it was to arm its fellow bartenders with the skills needed to thrive in the booze biz. They helped teach their members English and helped get them up to speed on American\'s drinking habits. They published a book in 1930, which included this drink. Although the Cuban Old Fashioned was published earlier (in which it was specified that it be made with whiskey), this was the first recipe that allowed for the spirit of choice. This provided the wiggle room to combine the modern myth of the rum and the history of the classic ingredients (curaçao, lime zest, mint) into one amazing drink. I think it works particularly well with a Cuban-Style Rum, but you could pretty much sub in any decent spirit and come up with a great drink. For those who have access to blanca Cuban rum, it\'s an excellent selection for this drink. For those of you who live in the US, where all Cuban products are verboten because of a Cold War-era embargo, luckily there are a few good substitutes to chose from. Normally, I\'d recommend Flor de Caña, 4-year, but in this case, I\'d go with Caña Brava. Caña Brava is made is Panama, but the master distiller behind the rum is a Cuban living abroad in Panama who spent 35-years at the top of the game in the Cuban rum industry. And since he moved to Panama in the 90\'s he may have been working in the Cuban rum industry in the pre-Revolution era. So, for the US, this may be the closest you can get to a Cuban rum without having to smuggle it through Customs. The Cuban Old Fashioned is an amazing drink. It\'s a real easy sipper. It has a touch of lime and a hint of mint. What\'s great about the lime zest in the mixing glass trick, is that it gives the drink the lime flavor without diluting the drink with lime juice or giving it the tartness. It\'s just pure flavor that accents, rather than masks the flavor of the base spirit, which is at the heart of what an Old Fashioned is supposed to do. ¡Salud, porque belleza sobra! (To your health, because you\'re already beautiful.) Recipe: 2 oz Rum (or other spirit of choice) 0.25 oz Simple Syrup 2 dashes Aromatic bitters 2 dashes Orange Bitters 1 dash Orange Curaçao 0.25 tsp (approx) Lime Zest 1 Mint Leaf Mint Sprig for garnish (optional) In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients with ice. Stir until chilled, and strain into an Old-Fashioned glass over fresh ice. Optionally garnish with mint sprig. Music: Cuba Libertad by Stefan Netsman via Epidemic Sound Follow Us! https://www.facebook.com/DistinguishedSpirits http://instagram.com/distinguishedspirits https://twitter.com/DistinguishedSp http://www.pinterest.com/DistinguishedSp Featured in This Drink: Caña Brava Rum http://www.canabravarum.com/ Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao http://pierreferrandcuracao.com/en/ Angostura Aromatic Bitters, 4 oz http://amzn.to/2dxehTf Regan\'s Orange Bitters No. 6, 5 oz http://amzn.to/2dWVwqB'
Tags: diy , Recipe , Party , drink , craft , classic , prohibition , mixed , drinks , cuban , classy , whiskey , old fashioned , Cognac , Spirit , cocktail , Cuba , brandy , bourbon , Drinking , gentlemen , rum , whisky , tequila , scotch , spirits , mixology , rye , Cuban Rum , Caña Brava , Singani , Cantineros
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