Ingredients
Drink
- 60 mlaged Cuban-style rum
- 20 mlapricot brandy
- 30 mlpineapple juice, fresh if possible
- 15 mllime juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 mlsugar syrup, to taste
To finish
- ice cubes, for shaking
- a thin slice of pineapple, or a lime wheel
Equipment
- a cocktail shaker and a fine strainer
- a chilled coupe
Directions
- Blend fresh pineapple and strain it if you can manage it. Canned juice works but will need less sugar syrup to balance.
- Start with ten millilitres of syrup and taste before you commit. A very ripe pineapple may need no syrup at all.
- Fill a coupe with ice and water and set it aside. The glass should be properly cold by the time you strain into it.
- Put the rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, lime juice and syrup into a shaker. Fill it three quarters full with good solid ice cubes.
- Seal it and shake it hard for twelve to fifteen seconds. The pineapple juice needs a hard shake to build a light foam.
- Strain the drink through the shaker’s strainer and a fine mesh sieve. The drink should sit pale gold with a thin foam on top.
- Lay a thin slice of pineapple on the rim, or float a lime wheel. Serve it immediately, while the foam is still on it. It is a short drink and is meant to be finished cold.
Technique
- Use aged rum rather than white, since the vanilla notes hold the drink together.
- Fresh pineapple juice needs a hard shake to build the foam.
- Adjust the syrup to your pineapple, since ripeness varies enormously.
Substitutions
- Any well-made aged rum if a Cuban style is unavailable.
- Apricot liqueur made from real fruit, in place of apricot brandy.
Variations
- Served over crushed ice in a rocks glass.
- With a dash of Angostura bitters.
- Built taller with soda, as a long drink.
History
The house drink of Havana’s Hotel Nacional, opened in 1930 and a magnet for American drinkers during Prohibition.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hotel Nacional?
Hotel Nacional is a cocktail from Cuba: aged rum with apricot brandy, pineapple and lime, shaken and strained. The house drink of Havana’s Hotel Nacional, opened in 1930 and a magnet for American drinkers during Prohibition.
How long does Hotel Nacional take to make?
Hotel Nacional takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Hotel Nacional?
Yes, within limits. Any well-made aged rum if a Cuban style is unavailable. Apricot liqueur made from real fruit, in place of apricot brandy.
What is the most important thing to get right in Hotel Nacional?
Use aged rum rather than white, since the vanilla notes hold the drink together.
