El Presidente

A Cuban creation, the El Presidente was the house cocktail at Club El Chico in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, where America was introduced to the rhumba in 1925. Regulars considered the El Presidente "elixir for jaded gullets," and who are we to disagree? Here's how bartender George Stadelman used to make them.

1 1/2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce orange curacao
3/4 ounce French vermouth
1 dash grenadine
Twist of orange peel, for garnish

Stir ingredients well with cracked ice*, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. It should pour a delightfully clear, deep orange color. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

*Water is added to the drink from the ice that is used to mix it with. The role of the water in any cocktail is to calm down the flavors all around and to reduce the "burn" of the alcohol. This is extremely important for creating a cocktail that is smooth and relaxing.