El Presidente Recipe

A classic rum cocktail that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.

By
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Feb. 11, 2019
20130901presidenteglass.jpg
Maggie Hoffman

When the weather (or your palate) is being indecisive, it's best for your cocktails to play along. That's where the El Presidente comes in: made with light rum, it has a bright, summery appeal; but with the gravitas brought to the drink by dry vermouth and orange curacao, the flavor is ready to pull on a sweater against the evening's chill.

In 1949, Esquire's Handbook for Hosts addressed the drink this way: "The vanguard of Manhattan cognoscenti has discovered what regulars of El Chico in the Village have known for many a moon: the El Presidente cocktail is elixir for jaded gullets." No matter if it's you or the weather that's being indecisive, the El Presidente is an excellent resource for putting you back on an even keel.

Recipe Details

El Presidente Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 1 serving

A classic rum cocktail that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces white rum

  • 3/4 ounce dry vermouth

  • 3/4 ounce orange curacao

  • 1 dash grenadine

  • Garnish: orange twist

Directions

  1. Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir briskly for 30 seconds, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist a piece of orange peel over the drink and use as garnish.

Special equipment

Mixing glass, cocktail strainer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
171 Calories
0g Fat
10g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 8mg 41%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 34mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)