An amazing sparkling cocktail to close out the year
Cuba's famous Airmail cocktail is almost a hundred years old
The New Year is around the corner, and everyone must be coming up with plans…are you going out to a late night party or dinner before the fireworks (maybe at Nubeluz’s Sunset Soirée in New York City or at Zaytinya South Beach??) or spending the evening in watching movies or maybe you’re working at a bar or restaurant, getting ready for a super busy night.
No matter what your plans are, hopefully you can take a moment to celebrate the end of the year, your accomplishments for the last 12 months, things you’re proud of and things you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months. And maybe you’ll even be getting your grapes ready to eat at the stroke of midnight!
And some of you might want to have a drink while you celebrate. It could be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, of course—maybe you want to try a drink I shared during Dry January last year, the Niño Melón (which actually uses the same honey syrup as the cocktail I’m sharing below!). What I want is bubbles, maybe something a little sweet, a little tart, and just a little boozy…which is why I will probably be drinking an Airmail.
What’s an Airmail, José? It’s not one of the most common cocktails out there, but it’s one we love to serve—we have it on the menu at Nubeluz and at our cocktail bar The Beaudry Room in Los Angeles. The origin of the drink is a little mysterious, like the beginnings of a lot of cocktails, but the first mention of it was in a recipe pamphlet published by Bacardi Rum when it was a Cuban company in the early 1930s, around the time that Cuba launched its airmail service on and off the island. (By the way, you might know that Bacardi is no longer Cuban—it’s based in Bermuda now—but did you know that the founder, Facundo Bacardí Massó, was originally from Catalonia! Another Catalan changing the world through the power of drinks…)
You know I love history, and a great drink, so this one is definitely up my alley! The recipe is from our cocktail innovator, Miguel Lancha, who gives it a bit of a Spanish twist. We garnish it with a lime peel, though the story says that it was originally garnished with an airmail stamp!
My friends…happy new year, wherever you are, whoever you’re with, and whatever you’re drinking. Thank you for making this an amazing place to be, building our longer table together. See you next year!!
Airmail
Makes 1 cocktail