El Presidente Cocktail
Havana's grandest cocktail: aged white rum, dry vermouth and orange curaçao shaken hard with a whisper of grenadine until silky and ice-cold, finished with a twist of orange peel.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Chill the glass
Put a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for a few minutes, or fill it with ice water while you make the drink. A cold glass keeps the cocktail silky instead of watering it down.
✅ Done when: the glass feels cold to the touch
Fill the shaker
Fill a cocktail shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes. The ice should be plentiful; a half-full shaker will not chill or dilute the drink properly.
- 200 g ice cubes
✅ Done when: the shaker is well packed with ice
Add the liquids
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Shake hard and fast
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Strain into the glass
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Garnish and serve
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Chill the glass
Put a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for a few minutes, or fill it with ice water while you make the drink. A cold glass keeps the cocktail silky instead of watering it down.
✅ Done when: the glass feels cold to the touch
Fill the shaker
Fill a cocktail shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes. The ice should be plentiful; a half-full shaker will not chill or dilute the drink properly.
- 200 g ice cubes
✅ Done when: the shaker is well packed with ice
Add the liquids
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Shake hard and fast
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Strain into the glass
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Garnish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
El Presidente was born in the glamorous bars of Havana in the 1920s, during the years when American visitors flocked to Cuba on holiday boats to drink legally while Prohibition closed the bars back home. It takes its name from the Cuban presidency, and some say it was first mixed in honour of a sitting president, served in the elegant hotel and private club bars of the Vedado neighbourhood.
Unlike many rum cocktails that lean on sugar and citrus, El Presidente is a spirit-forward cocktail that stays light: dry vermouth and curaçao give it a wine-like, orange-scented backbone, while a few drops of grenadine round the edges without turning it sweet.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is considered Cuba's answer to the martini: elegant, strong and dry, built to show off good aged rum rather than mask it, and still ordered today in Havana's classic cocktail bars.
💡 Fun Fact
Bartenders argue over two versions: an older, drier style close to this one, and a later, sweeter 'El Presidente No. 2' with more grenadine, created once the drink became popular with tourists.
Havana
23.11°N, -82.37°W
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