Improved Rum Cocktail

The Improved Cocktail was a more complex take on the original formula of spirit, sugar, bitters, and water that first appeared in print in the appendix of Jerry Thomas’s 1876 edition. In 2021, I spent a lot of time with this genre and I produced a template from which I derived recipes for rye, genever, and Spanish brandy iterations. I was pleased to have the opportunity to design one with an aged rum base for this month’s theme.

INGREDIENTS

1½ oz. aged rum
½ oz. oloroso sherry
¼ oz. amaro
¼ oz. banana liqueur
¾ teaspoon pineapple-cinnamon syrup
1 dash angostura bitters
Lime coin, to finish
Coffee bean, for garnish

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ABV LEVEL

Combine all in a mixing glass. Fill three-quarters with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a small stemmed cocktail glass. Squeeze lime coin over drink so about a half dozen drops of juice fall in. Discard or garnish with coin if desired. Grate coffee bean on top using a microplane.