Time for a Drink: Nacional
At the very peak of summer, the epitome of a sharp, clean, refreshing cocktail is usually a daiquiri variation. Sure, long slow-sippers like mojitos and rickeys are invaluable when it’s absolutely baking outside, but on a Friday afternoon right after work when you need the crack of a starting pistol to start the summer weekend, a crisp rum drink in a cocktail glass has few rivals.
While the original daiquiri is king of the category, it has many relatives. Here’s a relatively young one, created by my good friend Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a bartender and blogger in Eugene, Oregon. Riffing on the classic Hotel Nacional cocktail, which uses apricot brandy for a touch of fruity sweetness, Morgenthaler introduced Fee Brothers Peach Bitters to the mix—and it raises the refreshment bar while tossing in another layer of flavor complexity.
It’s Friday, it’s summer—why are you still looking at the computer? Mix up a Nacional, head to the beach (or the yard, or the deck, or that spot in your living room with the fan), and raise a toast to National Rum Day.
Nacional
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces white rum
3/4 ounce apricot brandy (Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot is a good choice)
1 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup (or less, to taste)
2 good dashes of Fee Brothers Peach Bitters
Procedure
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well for 10 seconds and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
View other entries from Cocktail Concoctions.
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1 Comment:
I always thought the Hotel Nacional was a pretty boring cocktail. But this riff is fabulous. Thanks, Jeffrey, for coming up with it. And thanks, Paul, for showcasing it.
loisanborn at 7:54PM on 09/06/08