We’ll be Havana good time again at Vino this Thursday as when we’ll be using El Dorado Rum and Luxardo Maraschino to mix the classic Cuban cocktail: Daiquirì! Traditionally made from rum, lime juice and sugar, this quintessential Cuban cocktail is said to have been invented around 1800 by a group of American mining engineers working at the Daiquirì iron mine near Santiago. It was Jennings Cox, General Manager of the Spanish American Iron Co., who is credited with creating the drink at the Venus bar, not far from Daiquirì beach. Some believe Cox accidentally came up with the Daiquirì after he ran out of gin.

The daiquirì remained a local favorite until the early twentieth century, when Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, a U.S. Navy medical officer, introduced the drink to the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. By the 1940s, as Latin America’s cultural appeal increased, the cocktail began to obtain international status thanks to those served at Havana’s El Floridita bar (above), seeping its way into popular culture thanks to famous daiquirì drinkers such as Ernest Hemingway, JFK and, er, Fredo Corleone.

Today the El Floridita is content to mine its past as a hangout for Cuban exiles such as Hemingway, whose statue props up the bar, while his hand-written message of affection rests appended to the wall: “My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquirì in El Floridita.”

Cocktail Hour: DAIQUIRÌ
Thursday, January 26
5:30-7:30pm

Not to be confused with the coffee that goes by the same name, an after breakfast “Americano” refers to a cocktail composed of Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda. The drink was first served at Milan’s Caffè Campari in the 1860s, where it was originally known as the “Milano-Torino” because of its ingredients: Campari, the bitter herbaceous liqueur, is from Milan while the red vermouth, be it Cinzano or Martini, comes from Turin. It was renamed “Americano” after the war, when Italians noticed the drink was enjoyed particularly by Americans. Today it remains one of the simplest, most popular choices come aperitivo hour — for Americans or Italians.

AMERICANO TASTING
Thursday, January 19
5:30-7:30pm



Artwork by James C. Taylor (ommaggio a Mimmo Rotella).

And remember: you can taste all four of these terrific spirits tomorrow afternoon from 5:30pm!

Bartolo Nardini Aquavite di Vinaccia Riserva Grappa 375ml
$26
This grappa comes from Bassano del Grappa, in the northeastern part of Italy; it has been produced there since 1779. This riserva bottling has been aged for a minimum of 3 years in Slavonian oak, which results in slightly softer, smoother style of grappa. There are hints of spice, honey and cooked fruit, making it a grappa that everyone can enjoy — not just hardcore grappa lovers.

Vecchia Romagna Riserva 10 Anni Brandy 750ml
$43
In 1820, Jean Bouton, a successful French cognac producer from Charente, arrived in Emilia Romagna and began making distillate from Trebbiano grapes. In 1939 the spirit became known as Vecchia Romagna and adopted its distinctive triangular bottle. Today Vecchia Romagna is Italy’s best-selling brandy. Vecchia Romagna Riserva 10 Anni is the result of careful wine selection and an attentive distillation method known as “charentais” (a nod to the company’s cognac origins). A ten-year aging process imbues complex aromas and warm amber hues to this extra-refined brandy.

Castello di Verduno Grappa di Pelaverga 700ml
$60
Not just a renowned producer of world-class wines, Piedmont producer Castello di Verduno also produces its own spirits at a distillery in the town of Barbaresco. This grappa is made from what remains of the vinification of Pelaverga Piccolo, the native grape used to make Castello di Verduno’s popular Basadone wine. An attentive distillation process produces a clean, crystalline grappa that offers spice qualities emblematic of this rare variety.

Castello di Verduno Grappa di Nebbiolo 700ml
$60
Castello di Verduno is among the most respected and versatile wineries in the Langhe area of Piedmont. After Nebbiolo grapes are vinified for its Barbaresco and Barolo, the alcohol-rich stems and skins that remain are taken to a distillery in the town of Barbaresco to produce a rich, warm and intensely austere grappa.

For more information please call 212-725-6516 or email info@vinosite.com.