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Cocktail History
The Hotel Nacional is a tropical classic cocktail that was created by Will P. Taylor in the early 1900s in Havana, Cuba. It is traditionally made with aged rum, apricot, pineapple, and citrus, and it’s named for the hotel of the same name in Cuba.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Dark Rum: This is the base spirit. We used Appleton Estate’s Gold Jamaican Rum because it’s a great affordable spirit with notes of spices and vanilla that pair well with coffee and chocolate.
Apricot Brandy: This is a Cognac-based liqueur that adds apricot flavor. We used Phillip’s Apricot Brandy because it’s flavorful and affordable.
Pineapple Juice: This adds sweet and fruity pineapple flavor. We prefer fresh pineapple juice, but you can substitute canned juice if that’s easier than juicing an entire pineapple.
Lime Juice: This adds sour citrus flavors that balance out the other ingredients. We prefer fresh lime juice because it’s less bitter than the bottled stuff and tastes better.
Peach Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with peach and botanicals. They add stone fruit flavor and spice to the drink for more complexity. We used Fee Brothers Peach Bitters for their potent peach taste and floral notes.
Pineapple Slice: This is one of the garnishes. It adds fresh pineapple aroma and flavor.
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 this cocktail, but ultimately he prefers a few other tiki cocktails more than this one.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
AuthorThe Art of Vintage CocktailsPrep Time5 minsAdd rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, lime juice, peach bitters, and ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with pineapple slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Add rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, lime juice, peach bitters, and ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with pineapple slice.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Rum Cocktails
If you like this rum-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
• Jamaican Mule: A rum cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, Angostura aromatic bitters, candied ginger, a lime slice, and an orchid blossom
• Plum Swizzle: A brandy, rum, and plum wine cocktail made with orange juice, lime juice, orgeat syrup, crème de violette, absinthe, mint, and an orange twist
• Greena Colada: A rum cocktail made with triple sec, lime juice, lemon juice, Green Chartreuse, velvet falernum liqueur, crème of coconut, mint, and a lime wheel
• Zombie: A rum cocktail made with velvet falernum liqueur, Donn’s mix, lime juice, absinthe, grenadine, Angostura aromatic bitters, and mint
