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Cocktail History
The Hotel Nacional is a classic cocktail that was created by Will P. Taylor in the early 1900s in Havana, Cuba. It was named for the hotel in Cuba and is traditionally made with aged rum, apricot brandy, pineapple, citrus, and stone fruit bitters.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. We used Appleton Estate Special Gold Rum because it has a delicious rum flavor with notes of vanilla and baking spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Apricot Brandy: This is a liqueur made with apricots, spices, sugar, brandy, and water. We used Phillips Apricot Brandy because it’s flavorful and affordable. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative and Monin Non-Alcoholic Stone Fruit Syrup in place of the apricot brandy.
Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pineapple. We used fresh pineapple juice.
Peach Bitters: This is a spirit made with peaches, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Fee Brothers Peach Bitters because they have a potent peach taste with prominent floral notes.
Pineapple Slice: This is pineapple flesh that has been cut into a slice.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. We used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.
Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. We used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer for the lime and the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer for the pineapple.
Tasting Notes
The Hotel Nacional begins with fragrant aromas of pineapple and citrus, tastes of delicious rum and brandy paired with pineapple, and ends with the sour tang of citrus after the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: This fruity recipe was so tasty to Kendall it’s since landed on her list of favorite cocktails for summertime. Alex, on the other hand, also liked the Hotel Nacional, but he ultimately prefers a few other tiki cocktails more than this one.
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.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
Add rum, lime juice, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, peach bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with pineapple slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Add rum, lime juice, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, peach bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with pineapple slice.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum and Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative and Monin Non-Alcoholic Stone Fruit Syrup in place of the brandy to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Rum Cocktails
If you like this rum-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Caribe Daiquiri: A rum cocktail made with pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and a lime slice
Wishful Thinking: A sloe gin and rhum agricole cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, absinthe, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a mint sprig
Tia Mia: A mezcal and rum cocktail made with lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, a lime wheel, a mint sprig, and an orchid blossom
Junior Colada: A pineapple rum cocktail made with coconut liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, coconut soda, and pineapple fronds
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