What Is A Patriota
A sublime combination of coffee, chocolate, and mint, the Patriota is a cocktail highlighting the flavors and history of the Island of Cuba. It starts with sweet Cuban Coffee and is mixed with Bacardi Carta Blanca , smoothed with a hint of chocolate cream liqueur, and balanced with the brightness of fresh mint liqueur with Fernet Braca Menta.
Created by Laura Marnich, the Patriota was originally developed in 2015 for the Bacardi Legacy Competition, a global cocktail tournament. When I was approached by Laura about featuring her entry, my familiarity with the event was pretty limited.
I had no idea just how massive it was. Its basically the Oscars of bartending.
More than 30 bartenders from around the world compete in one location by submitting their signature cocktail to a panel of judges, all with the goal of finding the worlds next classic drink.
When Laura presented the idea of featuring her cocktail on this blog, I was instantly intrigued by the careful thought that went into selecting each ingredient. It wasnt just a cocktail, it was a history lesson. And an interesting one, at that.
How Does It Taste
The use of Cuban Coffee creates a delightful, aromatic, foamy layer. As it slips over the tongue, the flavors of strong coffee, mint, and just a hint of cocoa combine to create a balance of both earthy and sweet. The Bacardi Carta Blanca plays the perfect major role, as it serves as a vehicle for the flavors without being overpowering. The Braca Menta is quite intense, and provides a refreshing bite that lingers long after the first sip.
Lets be honest here. This was the most fun Ive had filming in a long time, because I got to drink so many of these. That mint and coffee combination is so memorable that I found myself craving another Patriota the next day. Its an amazing balance of flavor that sticks with you in the best way.
Have A Havana Style With A Caf Cubano
Café Cubano, by its name alone, is already a spoiler as to its history. This espresso-based beverage was historically attributed to the country of Cuba right after espresso machines were first imported from Italy.
The drink has several alternate names and these include but not limited to, Cuban coffee, Cuban espresso, cafecito, Cuban pul and Cuban shot.
Café Cubano is an espresso shot that is made sweet using the demerara sugar while it is being brewed.
The Cuban Coffee is well-integrated in the lifestyle of most native Cubans as well as a socio-cultural activity in certain parts of West Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa and the Keys do to the large number of Cuban Americans and has ingrained itself as a part of the local cuisine and tradition in almost all of Miamis coffee shops.
In order to whip yourself up a Cuban coffee you will need: two shots of espresso, espresso grounds like Pilon or La Llave and one eighth cup of sugar.
You will also need an espresso machine and a stainless steel ice cream server. The stainless steel ice cream server is perfect for the job because it heats up easily and thus allows the sugar to melt and blend with the coffee.
There are different methods you can select from when preparing a Café Cubano. The best method however will be discussed because it brings out the best results.
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Morenos Cuba: Grand Havana Cocktail
Tucked away in South Beach, vintage Miami meets old Havana at Morenos Cuba where they serve up seriously delicious dishes! Get ready for one of their best rum drinks that perfectly encapsulates our local Latin flavors, the “Grand Havana Cocktail.”
1 1/2 oz Miami Club Cuban Coffee Rum Liqueur
1 shot Grand Havana Cuban Style Espresso
1 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
Garnish: Coffee beans
Cuban Coffee Liqueur Espresso Liqueur
Well, were on daylight savings and although we might not know results yet, the voting is done and a winner will be announced soon enough. I recommend waiting with this new concoction.
Weve done a few espresso martinis in the past and Paul has found another way of making it. This time however there is no coffee, just a great find of a Cuban Coffee liqueur.
We stopped by our local Total Wine recently and tried the spirits from Miami Club Rum, Miamis first distillery. Good vodka and coffee liquor, with a splash of creme de cacao and you have an adult mocha treat thats as good before or after dinner! Allow your mouth and senses to live a little
Espresso or this Cuban Coffee liqueur is so much better than Kahlua that Im adding a few more tasty options for the bottle, or two.
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How Strong Is This Drink
The roasted recipe is slightly stronger than the toasted almond, though both are relatively tame in the cocktail world. Using a 42-proof amaretto and 40-proof coffee liqueur, the alcohol content of the toasted almond averages out to 14 percent ABV . Adding half a shot of 80-proof vodka creates a roasted toasted almond of about 18 percent ABV . While the vodka doesn’t make too big of a difference, it is a nice way to add an extra punch to the drink without getting out of control.
Thatchers Organic Artisan Spirits
From the farm to your glass, Thatchers Organic Artisan Spirits are made of sustainably farmed, gluten free, all-natural ingredients that are USDA Certified Organic to bring you a better cocktail while supporting a better environment. The Thatchers distillery is located on the outskirts of Temperance, MI, surrounded by sunny fields of corn. Thatchers is dedicated to being organic, and made the old fashioned way by hand in small batches.
In addition to the Thatchers Small Batch, Gluten Free Vodka the portfolio includes a variety of liqueurs for making cocktails: Apple Spice Ginger, Chipotle, Coffeehouse, Dark Chocolate Liqueur, Gluten Free Blood Orange, Gluten Free Cucumber, Gluten Free Elderflower, Gluten Free Prickly Pear, Tres Chiles and Yumberry Liqueur.
To learn more about Thatchers Organic Artisan Spirits, visit
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Miami Club Rum Captures Magic City Spirit
Meet its award-winning liqueur ambassador
There was a time briefly when Miami was a hard city for someone in the rum business. In 1931, businessman Alphonse Capone fell afoul of the taxman for neglecting to report his substantial profits from his lucrative Prohibition-era shipping concern and was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, a $50,000 fine, $7,692 in court costs and an additional six months for contempt of court .
The pen was quite a step down from Capones Palm Island mansion. His brother, Ralph Bottles Capone, and associates like Jake Greasy Thumb Guzik faced similar charges, but Scarface was the biggest fish the feds could hope for, and they landed him.
Miami Club Rums Matt Malone designed his own labels using architectural details from a selection of art deco hotels.
That was during the time of speak-easies and underground bars, when spirits were strictly illegal. Capone might be a hero to some hard-drinking outlaws, but the forward-thinking Biscayne Tippler prefers businesses that dont implode and ones that likely dont involve extortion and murder, either.
But Malone also has an eye on the future and that future is local.
I try to be an ambassador for Miami, he said.
He designed his labels himself, based on features hed photographed on Miami Beachs art deco hotels. But more than the name and the look, what he loves putting forward in the world is the taste of Miami. That means creating spirits here out of ingredients grown here.
Cuban Inspired Florida Crafted Enjoyed Everywhere
Inspired by the social clubs of Havana in the 1950s, Big 5 Rums embody the laid back but upbeat energy of Cubas bustling social scene.
From island relaxation to the decadent excitement of the cabaret, the Big Five Social Clubs in the 1950s were a place where rum cocktails were a way of life, and there was always a reason to celebrate, no matter what the occasion. Today, Big Five captures that spirit with bold flavors and quality rum.
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Two New Ways To Enjoy Havana Cocktails
Brightline hosting Havana Rum Train ride
For a second year, Brightline will take riders on a one-hour music, food and drinks trip with a Havana Rum Train that leaves each Saturday from April 4 through May 2. The ride starts in Miami at 7:30 p.m., returns to the Virgin MiamiCentral station at 8:30 p.m. and the party continues at the station.
You can look for live Cuban jazz, rum tastings paired with Cuban food, then costume dancers, cigar rolling, desserts and more rum cocktails at the station. The Miami Club rum is featured, and I can vouch for the Cuban Coffee Rum Liqueur, which was wonderful in eggnog during the holidays and Im sure will be just as tasty on the Havana train. Each guest receives two drink tickets to use before or after the train ride, and cash bars will be available, too.
Early bird tickets are on sale and available until March 14 for $99 per person after that, tickets are $125 per person. All aboard!
Escape to Old Havana at Death or Glory
Death or Glory owners Annie Blake and Ayme Harrison
Speaking of Havana, it seems to be the in theme right now, with Delrays Death or Glory planning a 90 Miles: Escape to Old Havana for its Savor the Avenue night on March 23. While the table on the avenue is sold out, the restaurant is providing the same cocktails and menu that night for those not attending Savor the Avenue event.
Death or Glory, 116 NE 6th Ave., Delray Beach 561/808-8814
The Meanings Behind The Ingredients
The Patriota is not only a tribute to Emilios patriotism, but features key ingredients that have become the foundation of Cuban culture.
Cuban Coffee , known for its intensely sweet, sugary foam, helps create the frothy upper-layer of this cocktail. Coffee and rum has long been a traditional favorite in Cuba. With the economic boom following WWI, Bialetti, an Italian coffee pot maker, began exporting their famous stovetop espresso machines to the island. Known as the moka pot, the device became a staple in homes across Cuba, where it is used in the daily preparation of Cuban Coffee to this day. Read our tutorial on Cuban Coffee here.
Use of Bacardi rum, of course, is a tribute to the Bacardi family, their influence on the island nation, and the importance of rum in Cuban culture.
Also used is mint liqueur, selected for the importance mint plays not only in Cuban cuisine, but in signature cocktails like the Mojito that have played a key role in Bacardis expansion around the globe.
Finally, the chocolate cream liqueur creates a velvety consistency and highlights the farming and use of cacao on the island nation.
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Spiced Autumnal Cocktail Recipes
Autumn kicks off with a trio of libations that are perfectly in sync with the season.
Autumn kicks off with a trio of libations that are perfectly in sync with the season.
Baby Bison Miami locals favorite neighborhood bar, Sweet Liberty, conceived this easy-drinking vodka cocktail combining Zu vodka, apple juice, Aperol, citrus and cinnamon.
INGREDIENTS 1½ oz. of vodka 1½ oz. apple juice
½ oz. fresh lemon juice ½ oz. Aperol Cinnamon stick
DIRECTIONS:Shake all ingredients together with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
At Mediterranean hotspot Byblos Miami, this bourbon-based classic is deliciously complemented by their own house-blended Turkish coffee that adds a sweet kick of flavor into the mix.
INGREDIENTS
1½ oz. Old Forester bourbon ½ oz. Stolen Smoked Rum ½ oz. Turkish Coffee reduction
4 dashes Orange Angostura bitters 2 dashes Angostura bitters Orange peel
DIRECTIONS:Add all ingredients together in a shaker, then stir. Serve in a rocks glass over a single large ice cube. Garnish with an orange peel curl.
El Cafecito
Gloria Estefan once described Cuban coffee as very powerful, very sweet, and a little dangerous. Thats exactly how wed describe this cocktail from Lobster Bar Sea Grille Miami Beach. Enjoy while listening to salsa music and playing dominoes.
INGREDIENTS 1½ oz. Papas Pilar Dark Rum ½ oz. Miami Club Cuban Coffee Liqueur ½ oz. Licor 43
2 dashes Bitter Truth chocolate bitters
Cigar Pairing: La Aurora 115th Anniversary
Pairing Notes
La Aurora 115 is a flavorful smoke that starts with a burst of red pepper and oak that gets balanced out by roasted nut notes and a pleasant butterscotch sweetness. When introduced to the unmistakable Cuban espresso flavor of Miami Club Cuban Coffee Rum Liqueur the tasting goes to another level. The sharp peppers in the cigar and the sweet rum liqueur provide an ideal backbone that complements the coffee finish perfectly.
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The History Behind The Patriota
The Patriota cocktail was created as a tribute to Emilio Bacardi Moreau, son of the founder of the Bacardi rum distillery in 1862.
Emilio was more than just the heir to a rum dynasty. He was a freedom fighter for the Cubas independence from Spain. He believed in Cuba being Cuban, rather than ruled by the Spanish. He was arrested, exiled, and twice imprisoned for this belief.
Emilios sacrifice for the country he loved was finally rewarded when he returned from exile to become the first freely-elected Mayor of Santiago de Cuba in 1898.
Miami Club Cuban Coffee Rum Liqueur 750ml Bottle
Bottle size
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It’s Five O’clock Somewhere Right And What Better Way To Beat The Scorching Tropical Heat Than With A Refreshing Rum Cocktail
From India, Japan, Mozambique and Australia to France, Spain, Denmark and Germany – rum is made around the world in more countries that we can count. As the first branded spirit ever made, the top-selling rums hail from across the Caribbean and Latin America regions. Puerto Rico leads the way, producing over 70 percent of rums sold in the U.S.
In his honor, and in celebration of National Rum Day on August 16, we gathered up some hand-crafted cocktail recipes from beloved Latin restaurants for your enjoyment.
White Russian Cocktail Recipe
The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
| Potassium 29mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
The White Russian is among the best, easiest, and most popular vodka cocktails you will come across. The creamy counterpart to the equally famous Black Russianvodka and coffee liqueurthe white version is incredibly simple to make by just adding cream to the black one. Made famous by the beloved “Dude” character in the Big Lebowski movie, the drink took off during the late ’90s among a new generation of fans of this cult favorite.
Adding this easy recipe to your bartending arsenal will give you a two-for-one lesson, as buying coffee liqueur and vodka will give you a complete drink , and adding cream on top of it will provide a second cocktail . The White Russian is a very approachable drink, so delicious that one can barely notice there’s alcohol in it, and this has only fed the drink’s popularity. You get vodka accented with the taste of coffee in a luscious, creamy cocktail.
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