Signature Cocktail Secrets by Susan Campbell Creating signature cocktails has virtually become a competitive sport among this island’s best bartenders in both beach bars and fine restaurants. Let’s get some insight into the secrets of how they make such unique and delicious drinks. Recipe for success
The original Caribbean signature cocktail is the rum punch, a potent concoction hailing from 18th-century Jamaica. It has gone through many incarnations and name changes, but the 100-year-old rhyme that resonates throughout the Caribbean to aid in its making still rings true today. It goes like this: “One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, and four of weak.” The “sour” is lime juice, the “sweet” is cane sugar, the “strong” is rum, and the “weak” is water and
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ice, though the variations over the years have made the “weak” pineapple or orange juice or both, and cane sugar is often substituted with grenadine or simple syrup (sugar and water boiled down to create a thick liquid sweetener). Either way, what makes this original punch so popular is the balance. All great signature cocktails need a good balance whether sweet, savory or spicy; for every ingredient, there must be a complementary foil. E
Photo by iStockphoto. Facing page photo by Brendan Veary
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Another important rule of thumb when creating a great drink is to use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Though it might be tempting to use pre-mixes to make cocktails like pina coladas or frozen strawberry daiquiris, you can really taste the difference when fresh fruits and juices are incorporated. Experiment with the basics
Most great signature cocktails begin with a classic drink recipe as a building block. Often a sweet spirit and a strong liquor for short drinks, with the addition of a variety of juices or creamy liquids for taller concoctions. Blenders to crush ice and really mix ingredients are also often in play, but a good bartender should be able to make an outstanding drink with only a shaker glass. Once you have educated your palate to the different tastes and textures of various spirits – which ones are sweet, sour,
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strong, mild, pungent – then you can begin experimenting with different combinations. The best signature cocktails are ones that are made with surprising substitutes like apple juice or pomegranate juice in place of plain old orange, or by adding original sweeteners like agave syrup instead of grenadine. And the sky is the limit these days when it comes to experimenting with creative combinations of liqueurs: seek out new intriguing flavors like passion fruit, dragon berry, praline pecan, maple syrup, sweet ginger, violet, hibiscus, elderberry, bittersweet chocolate, cactus, and other exotic essences. Schnapps also now comes in a multitude of cool flavors beyond peppermint and peach like root beer and even cotton candy! E
Left photo by Lise Gagné. Top photo by Yamac Beyter. Bottom photo by iStockphoto
Appearance is also paramount in the appeal of a cocktail. There are all kinds of new offerings you can use to color your drinks like prickly pear cactus syrup, which is a lovely violet shade. Blue Curaçao liqueur is another popular color changer; it comes in a variety of colors and flavors and when combined with grenadine will come out a royal purple. True professionals layer their drinks to delineate the ingredients. They also make sure to name their drinks well. Most people will be more attracted to a “Sweet Nectar Delight” than something like a “John Doe Special.” Today’s trends
The latest trend for professional mixologists the world-over is to embrace culinary elements in their creations. Adding food stuffs like clams, oysters, shrimps, hot and mild peppers, fresh herbs, candied or glazed flower petals, vegetable sticks, chocolates, even blue cheese or bacon strips is now all the rage. And garnishes are going gourmet as well. The days of simply de corating a drink with a pineapple spear or a skewered orange and maraschino cherry are
numbered. Fancy edible garnishes and even edible stir sticks as well as gourmet blends for rimming are available. And spirited gourmet coffees and teas as well as signature sangrias and wine-martinis are also trending as is the addition of energy drinks as part of the cocktail base to ensure the party keeps hopping. Local delights
Aruba’s original signature drink is the Aruba Ariba, made island-wide in various incarnations and always highlighting an ancient deep red liqueur called coecoei that tastes somewhat like licorice and is made from agave. Coecoei is also often used in place of grenadine to color drinks like the Aruban Sunset. Other native spirits include the thick, rich, liquor-laden, eggnog-like concoction named ponche crema. And though flavors like mango, coconut, pineapple do have their place among them, there are many more taste palettes to discover here. You will also find barkeeps using the fresh local juices of fruits like soursop, cashew apple, guava, and mango in their creations whenever possible. Aruba’s native aloe, which is digestible in the right dilution, is also used in some surprisingly interesting signature drinks, and the locally made rums often figure in the ingredients list. E
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Left photo by Fotolia. Right photo by Eugene Bochkarev
Whether you want to swim up to a resort pool bar, get all decked-out to trip the light fantastic at an upscale establishment, or sneak away to a secret spot the locals swear by, if you ask Aruba’s bartenders for their signature cock tail they are bound to serve up something very special. Here is but a sampling of a few standouts that are worth tracking down. The Aruba Aloe Fantasy is a unique offering found only at the Marriott resorts. They’ve also got an aloe rum punch, aloe and mint colada, and an aloe martini. If martinis are your thing, Garufa Ultra Lounge in downtown Oranjestad has an entire menu of signature martinis and special Garufa Flights with three martinis to sample. Passions on the Beach on Eagle Beach has its own martini menu, while Yvette’s signature martini at Amuse Bistro proves that the drinks can be just as inventive as the cuisine. The bar at Waka Waka Adventure Café & Cantina is
Garufa Flights martinis by Garufa Ultra Lounge
open late: “as long as it takes,” they say. It’s a good thing, since that leaves lots of time to enjoy their signature Waka Waka Safari Juice. If you find yourself at Pure Beach at the Divi Phoenix Resort, be sure to try their amazing frozen hurricane. The Bucuti & Tara Resorts’ adorably named Sand in Your Shorts and the Boozer Colada at Charlie’s Bar in San Nicolas are two more musts, and just as tasty: the Crazy Cosmo and Bon Nochi (which means goodnight in Papiamento) at Pinchos Grill & Bar. Aruba’s best bartenders are just waiting for the opportunity to mix up something special for you. They are passionate about adding to the kaleidoscope of creative variations of martinis, coladas, mojitos, margaritas, and daiquiris, even shooters – layered or set on fire – so don’t hesitate to forego your usual order and opt for one of the island’s signature cocktails. K
Garufa Ultra Lounge
Waka Waka Safari Juice from Waka Waka Adventure Café & Cantina
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Top photo by Bigstock. Middle and bottom photos courtesy of Garufa Ultra Lounge. Facing page photo courtesy of Waka Waka Adventure Café & Cantina
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