el nino

1 oz Zacapa 23 Rum (Diplomatico Riserva Exclusiva)
1 oz Oronoco Rum (Uruapan Charanda Blanco)
1 oz Pineapple Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice
Rinse Herbsaint (1 bsp included in mix)

Whip shake, pour into a glass (Tiki mug), fill with crushed ice, and garnish with bitters (Angostura) and a pineapple leaf (omit).
On Wednesday two weeks ago, I wanted to get one more drink in for Tiki the Snow Away month, and I found the perfect recipe in the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Stir Your Soul book. The libation that caught my eye was the El Nino crafted by Lynnette Marrero for a "Sugarcane Spirits from Around the World" talk that year. The Orinoco Rum called for in the recipe has been discontinued sometime over the last decade, but it was a white Brazilian rum consisting of molasses rum and cachaça; as a substitute, I selected the mezican Uruapan blend of molasses and sugarcane juice distillates that probably falls in the same ballpark. Once prepared, the El Nino shared a clove and allspice bouquet to the nose. Next, caramel from the dark rum was brightened by the lemon juice on the sip, and the swallow showcased a mix of funky and dark rum notes along with pineapple and anise flavors.