El Presidente Cocktail

The El Presidente Cocktail is an impressive and sophisticated alcoholic Cuban drink! This turnaround on the Manhattan is truly one of a kind.

Here’s a 1920s slow sipper that’s just begging to be a part of your cocktail repertoire: the Cocktail The President! This Cuban classic has never topped the daiquiri or the mojito (or even the Cuba Libre), but it’s special in its own right. It’s elegant and sophisticated, like a Cuban version of a Manhattan, but uses rum instead. It contains special ingredients and is alcoholic, moderately bitter with a sweet, lemony undertone. After trying over 200 cocktail recipes, we’ve never had anything quite like it!

What is an El Presidente cocktail?

The El Presidente Cocktail is a Cuban mixed drink made with aged rum, white vermouth, orange liqueur (usually Curaçao) and grenadine. The drink was invented around 1910, named after the Cuban President: “El Presidente” means “president” in Spanish. It was popular in Cuba in the 1920s-1940s, but is less well known today: perhaps because of the unique ingredients needed to make it!

Most of the Cuban cocktails you know and love are sour cocktails: a combination of liquor, sweetener, and citrus. But the El Presidente is very different: an alcoholic stirred cocktail that’s more like a Manhattan. Here are the ingredients of El Presidente:

• Old or golden rum
• White Vermouth or White Lillet
• Grand Marnier or Orange Curacao
• grenadine

Let’s break down these ingredients, shall we?

What is white vermouth?

When it comes to vermouth, most people are familiar with two main varieties: sweet red vermouth and dry white vermouth. But did you know that there is a third kind of vermouth? Encounter white vermouth aka vermouth bianco, as it is called in Italy. Here’s what you should know about this particular variety of vermouth and why it’s needed for the El Presidente cocktail:

• white vermouth is a semi-sweet white vermouth: it is both dry like white vermouth and sweet like red vermouth. The taste is floral with hints of vanilla and a subtle bitterness on the finish.
• Need white vermouth at El Presidente? Yes! We tried the El Presidente with a dry white vermouth and it’s way too bitter.
• What can I substitute for white vermouth? Lillet Blanc is easy to find and works as a substitute.
• How much is white vermouth? A bottle of Dolin Blanc Vermouth costs about $16.
• What drinks can you make with white vermouth? Try the White Negroni or use it as a substitute for Lillet Blanc in the Vesper Martini.

Golden or aged rum brings a nuanced taste

Many rum cocktails use white or dark rum. But the El Presidente cocktail uses an entirely different category of this liqueur: old rum or golden rum! Aging the rum for a few years gives it a complex flavor. Golden rum can have vanilla, coconut, almond, citrus, or caramel undertones. The aged rum we used here was Rum Brugal Anejo.

Can’t find golden or aged rum or don’t have one on hand? You can substitute the dark rum at El Presidente for a similar flavor.

Orange Liqueur: Grand Marnier vs. Curaçao

The last main liqueur from El Presidente is orange liqueur! This drink traditionally uses Orange Curacao, but it can be hard to find. Here are some pointers to what else you can use as a substitute:

• Grand Marnier is your best choice. Grand Marnier is the highest quality orange liqueur and brings a nuanced and refined taste. We had a bottle (because we love Grand Marnier cocktails) so we used it here.
• Cointreau works too. Do you have a bottle to make margaritas or other Cointreau drinks? You can use it here too. The taste is a little less nuanced and the color of the drink will be slightly different as it is colorless. But it always works!

Grenadine complements the drink

Finally, you need Grenadine to complete the El Presidente! This bright red syrup gives the drink a rosy color and a subtle sweetness. Here’s what you need to know about this popular syrup:

• grenadine is a sweet, tangy syrup used in bright red cocktails. It’s made with pomegranate juice!
• Where can you find grenadine? It’s easy to find in liquor stores, but look for all-natural grenadine. Traditionally, it is made with artificial flavors. Or you can make grenadine at home!
• What drinks is grenadine used in? It’s best known in grenadine cocktails like the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple and the dynamic Tequila Sunrise and Singapore Sling.

How to make the El Presidente cocktail

Do you have all the ingredients? This is the most difficult part of the El Presidente cocktail. Mixing takes less than 5 minutes! Here’s what to do:

• Mix all ingredients in a cocktail glass. This is a classic “stirred” cocktail, where you mix the ingredients instead of shaking them (like the martini and Manhattan).
• Filter and garnish. Strain the drink into a stemmed cocktail glass. Add a Luxardo cherry if you want to bring in more of the Manhattan vibe.
• Don’t have a mixing glass? Use any glass or container to mix the drink, then strain into the serving glass. Or take one cocktail glass.

That’s it! Let us know if you’ve tried the El Presidente cocktail and what you think in the comments below! It really is a special drink.

When to serve the El Presidente cocktail

The El Presidente Cocktail is a sophisticated and alcoholic rum cocktail. It’s perfect for sipping as:

• Happy hour drink
• Drink at dinner
• Late night drinks
• Evening drink between boys or between girls