Sam Horwitz’s Classic Cocktail Compendium

El Presidente

• 1½ fluid ounces of a Spanish-style aged rum

  Havana Club 7 Años of Cuba, pictured

• ¾ fluid ounce of a vermouth blanc

  C. Comoz Vermouth de Chambéry Blanc¹, recommended

• ½ fluid ounce of orange curaçao

  Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, pictured

• 1 teaspoon of pomegranate grenadine

  Liber & Co. Real Grenadine, pictured

Stir all of the ingredients with ice in frozen mixing glass and strain into a frozen cocktail glass. Express and discard an orange peel and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

This recipe comes from Julio Cabrera who makes this classic Cuban cocktail more spirit-forward and clarifies the need for a vermouth blanc rather than the often-cited dry French vermouth. This vermouth switch is allegedly more historically accurate rather than a modern update. I can also personally state that this cocktail is simply not very good when a dry vermouth is used.