queen's park swizzle

3 oz 86 proof Demerara Rum (3 oz El Dorado 3 Year)
1/2 large Lime (1/2 oz Juice + 1 half Shell)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Mint Leaves (10 leaf)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Lightly muddle mint in simple syrup in a 14 oz glass. Add rest of ingredients and crushed ice; swizzle to mix and chill. Add the half lime shell and straw, and garnish with mint sprigs.

Two Saturdays ago, I opened up Trader Vic's Book of Food & Drink and spotted the Queen's Park Swizzle. While it is not a new drink to me having first tried it at the Mixoloseum house at Tales of the Cocktail in 2009, it was a recipe that I wanted to put into my repertoire by making it myself. Actually, I had made a riff of one, the Benton Park Swizzle, two years ago, but the drink book lured me to make the classic. The book provided the context of "this is a world famous drink from the Queen's Park Hotel in Trinidad." In retrospect, I wish I had used a darker Demerara rum, but the El Dorado 3 Year was right in front on the rum shelf; moreover, others have recommended garnishing with a dash or two of Angostura Bitters for aroma and effect in addition to the dashes in the mix.
The Swizzle began with a mint aroma that preceded the lime sip with herbal notes. Finally, a rum, spice, and mint swallow rounded off this cold delight.