[Paulo Freitas]

I'm going to compete on the Havana Club Grand Prix and one of the three cocktails that the participants have to make is a modern take on a classic cuban cocktail. That made me think for quite a while... how to make a classic cocktail modern if the trend right now is to go back to the basics?

If it was some yars ago it would be easy, just make a Cuba Libretini

I made my choice, but what do you think would make the cocktail modern? Molecular Mixology; Ingredients that didn't existed when the cocktail was created; Infusions; New tecnics?

[Chris Amirault]

I think it's in your drink's story, in the sell. Given the broad range of techniques that contemporary bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts are using, you can do just about anything as long as you make the case that it's "modern." Avoid sour mix, artificial grenadine, and non-Coke sodas and all other inventions of the modern industrial age but outside, I think, the intended meaning of "modern" in this context."

[KD1191]

The Cuba Libre from Rogue Cocktials comes to mind. Sure, it's just a rum and coke, but the coke called for is the stuff with cane sugar, not the modern HFCS crap, there's muddled lime, angostura bitters...it's a classic, but it's thoughtfully improved.

[slkinsey]

I think there are a lot of ways this sort of thing can be done. Several obvious examples of "modern takes" or "tweaks" of classic cocktails come from Audrey Saunders' oeuvre. The Tantris Sidecar is a tweaked Sidecar, the Old Cuban could be seen a a tweaked Mojito, etc. The difficulty in coming up with anything really interesting is going to be the fact that most any "classic Cuban cocktail" is going to revolve around rum, lime and sugar plus some other stuff. Not too terribly much room to innovate there.

[Paulo Freitas]

The one that I'm going to make is a "tweak" on the Hemmingway Special, but using Licor 43 and vanilla sugar instead of the maraschino liqueur, adding some angostura to balance it all (my bookers bottles didn't arrived yet ) I'm in love with this cicktail, but I'm not sure if it is "modern" enough. I think I gonna have to come up with a good history to sell it like so.

My other cocktail revolves around Mango, Pink Pepper and Cloves. The competition gonna be this wednesday, gonna keep you informed of the results

[Paulo Freitas]

So I ended up second on the competition didn't won the trip to Cuba but was very happy anyway

here is the recipe:

Toreador Habanaro (my modern take on the Hemmingway Daiquiri):

1 1/2 oz Havana Club Anejo Blanco
1 1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Licor 43
1 tsp Vanilla Sugar (or 1/4 oz Vanilla infuse Simple Syrup)
1 dash Angostura bitter

Shaken and strained in a cocktail glass with a zest of grapefruit

[haresfur]

Sounds nice! Congratulations.

[hathor]

Bravo e auguri! congrats! Sounds like an interesting cocktail indeed.

Just because I was gifted with some precious limes, we made daiquiri's the other night. As I've never tasted a real daiquiri (that frozen nightmare stuff they sell in New Orleans in plastic gallon containers...I don't think that counts), I went to Dale DeGroff's "Essential Cocktail" book and melded a few recipes together.

1.5 rum
1.0 simple syrup
.75 lime juice
.375 maraschino (as in not very much at all)

No wonder this was a classic cocktail.
I think the trinity of rum, lime and sugar is a rock solid base to riff from.

J.