Cocktail Recipe: The Flotante

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We’re in a rum mood this week. We’ve got a buffoon for a Foreign Secretary, a new PM only her parents could love and, in spite of the swell of public outcry, the country has cashed in a one-way ticket down the swanny. It’s time to head to sunnier pastures, for a well-deserved spot of the three Rs: rest, relaxation, and rum. Can’t afford the airfare? Don’t fret. We’ve got you covered, with a sprightly Polynesian cocktail recipe from Nico Peratinos of London’s Aqua Nueva. “This is a refreshing, citrusy drink with notes of sweetness coming from the pineapple and passionfruit syrup,” explains Peratinos. “It’s one of those drinks you can enjoy at any time of the day – and if you don’t mix it with anything else, you’ll totally avoid a hangover.” Oh stop with your sweet nothings, Nico – we were hooked as soon as we read the fresh and fruity (not to mention seriously potent) ingredients list: zesty lime, steamy pineapple, nectarous passion fruit and a bucketload of rum. Based on classic sup the Zombie, Peratinos’ Flotante draws on a distinct and ever-popular branch of drinks heritage – the tiki cocktail. Tiki style can be traced back to the movement’s founding father (and former Prohibition bootlegger) Ernest Gantt. An enthusiastic adventurer, Gantt travelled the world in the 1920s, before falling in love with the Caribbean and the South Pacific. After moving to Hollywood in 1933, he opened the first Polynesian themed restaurant, only to see the tiki craze spread like wildfire throughout the 1940s and 50s. Popularised in the 1930s, the Zombie is a tropical confection, all zingy fruit and plummy rum, served in a tall glass with a shock of crystalline crushed ice. “I added a little twist,” admits Peratinos. “We’ve added Visciolata, a cherry wine which floats, and a few dashes of absinthe to introduce an aniseed element – a key flavour in all tiki drinks.”

The Flotante Cocktail

Flotante (Serves 2)

Ingredients

80ml Zacapa 23 year-old rum 50ml lime juice 50ml pineapple juice 6 dashes of absinthe 30ml Giffard passion fruit syrup 20g sugar 20ml Visciolata Cardinale

To Serve

Chilled rocks glass Cubed ice Slice of dried pineapple, to garnish Mint sprig, to garnish Viola flowers, to garnish

Shopping List

“Zacapa 23 is a premium rum, a real top-shelf spirit. The nuttiness and the smoky finish work well with the flavours of pineapple and lime here. If you can’t get hold of Zacapa, Diplomatico is a good alternative. It’s equally mellow, smooth and on the sweet side. Giffard passion fruit syrup is the best syrup available.”

Instructions

  1. Add the rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, absinthe, passion fruit syrup and sugar to a cocktail shaker, and shake well until the ingredients are completely combined.
  2. Add the cubed ice to your chilled glass.
  3. Using both hands, strain the drink through a Hawthorne strainer (held flush with the opening of the shaker) and a small fine sieve positioned over your glass.
  4. Pour the Visciolata Cardinale over the top of the cocktail gently, so it floats.
  5. Garnish with the pineapple, mint and viola flowers.

From Delicious To Stratospheric

“Just add more rum.” Well, that seems simple enough

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