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Cocktail History
The El Duque is a coffee cocktail that was created by Gabriel Orta and Elad Svi at Twenty-Seven Restaurant & Bar in Miami Beach, Florida and included in PUNCH Drink’s book Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails. The recipe is essentially a riff on the Manhattan that uses four untraditional ingredients you don’t ever see in the classic, including rum, cream sherry, cold-brew coffee, and chocolate, to create its boozy, complex flavors.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Aged Rum: This is one of the base spirits. We chose Flor De Caña 4 Year Añego Oro Rum for its light and airy aromas of vanilla and almond with flavors of white chocolate and citrus, which we knew would pair well with the other ingredients. For a low-proof version of this drink, try Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the rum.
Cream Sherry: This is the other base spirit. We used Don Benigno Cream Sherry because it has a nutty almond taste that is noticeable but still subtle.
Cold-Brew Coffee: This adds the recipe’s unique, deep coffee flavor. We went with Soul Brewed Coffee Cold-Brew Coffee because it’s made locally to us using ethically sourced coffee beans and has that classic mocha flavor Alex loves.
Chocolate Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with cocoa and botanicals. They add chocolate flavor and spice to the drink for more complexity. We used Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters because they offer a unique combination of cacao, pepper, and spice flavors.
Lemon Twist: This is the garnish. It adds a hint of citrus aroma.
Tasting Notes
The El Duque features aromas of citrus and coffee and tastes like a combination of the pleasant shock of ice-cold coffee mixed with cream sherry’s slight sweetness for balance, all followed by the noticeable taste of rum.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While neither of us are the biggest fans of the classic Manhattan, we both enjoyed this take on it quite a bit. And as a coffee lover, Alex especially liked the way its spirituous flavors complemented the lush, bitter taste of the local cold brew we used. This one’s worth a try, for sure!
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“At first taste, I loved what this drink delivered: the dark aroma of black coffee, the even darker taste of coffee mixed with sherry, and the sugary funk of rum to finish it off. The chocolate bitters are fairly imperceptible, but you can tell they’re making a difference in the background. If you’re not keen on the Espresso Martini trend that’s been so hot lately, try this one out and see if you’re really a die hard coffee lover.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“There’s no denying that Espresso Martinis are in right now, but if you’re not one to follow trends, this is a coffee-flavored cocktail that’s much more sophisticated, in my opinion. I don’t personally drink coffee so it wasn’t my favorite drink we’ve tried recently, but I could see a frequent downer of the beverage absolutely loving this cocktail. Seeing Alex’s reaction to the first sip was proof.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.
Add rum, cream sherry, cold-brew coffee, chocolate bitters, and ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add rum, cream sherry, cold-brew coffee, chocolate bitters, and ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Caleño Dark & Spicy Tropical Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the rum to try a low-proof version of this drink.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Coffee Cocktails
If you like this coffee-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Mocha Rum Toddy: A rum cocktail made with coffee, dark crème de cacao, simple syrup, whipped cream, and cocoa powder
The Marriage of Maguey: A mezcal and tequila cocktail made with coffee chocolate liqueur, orange curaçao, and agave syrup
Sabueso Old Fashioned: A tequila and mezcal cocktail made with caramel coffee syrup, coffee and chocolate bitters, and an orange peel
White Russian: A rum cocktail made with coffee liqueur, Luxardo Amaro Abano, amaretto liqueur, and half & half
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