What in the world is a Periodista? The name is Spanish for Journalist it is a cocktail
that you probably have never heard of
before. It has the style of a daiquiri,
lending some credence to the stories that it originated in Cuba during the 20’s
or 30’s. This is one of the oddities of
cocktail history, a drink created in Cuba, lost for many years resurfaced in
the early days of this century in Boston.
So when Devin Hahn first tried
it, he could have been forgiven for taking it fora true rum classic. There really isn't very much information out
there about the Periodista.
Devin Hahn had been looking for an excuse to
write about cocktails in Boston and with the Periodista, he found a drink
offered in every other bar of the city but about which very little was known.
According
to David Hahn, “The Periodista’s a classic Cuban cocktail, they told me. Hemingway drank them at El Floridita in Havana.
Esquire Magazine revived it in the ‘50s. American reporters sucked back
Periodistas during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This drink was the stuff of legend.”
The oldest known
printed recipe comes from the 1948 Club de Cantineros book. Devin
Hahn suggests we prepare Charles Schumann's version, from his American Bar book
(which seems to have been the only printed recipe available in English for a
very long time).
Periodista (Charles Schumann Version)
·
45 ml Havana Club Añejo 3 años
·
7,5 ml Triple sec
·
7,5 ml Apricot brandy
·
1 bar spoon of sugar
·
Juice from ½ lime
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled
cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Bahama Bob’s Periodista
·
2 oz. Plantation 3 Star White Rum
·
1 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
·
1 oz. Apricot Brandy
·
½ oz. Cane Syrup (Sweetener)
·
Juice of ½ Lime
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled
cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge
This is a very
tasty daiquiri like cocktail that I found to be wonderful for an afternoon or
early evening libation. I found it to be
very refreshing and fit my taste to a “T”.
I found that I could make it with and without the sweetener and be great
for my palate. If you want a “skinny”
version try ½ packet of “Sweeta” artificial sugar.
