Bars, Nightlife, Old Havana

The cocktails of El del Frente

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You can ask around and everyone will answer the same: El del Frente has the best cocktails in Havana. This place is so approachable it has shared with us the secret of its success. Five mouth-watering recipes of some of their star cocktails follow, for those who put in some time at this bar and want to enjoy a hint of modern Havana in a glass at home.

Preparation: The order of the ingredients instructs the proves: pour and mixing all elements, add plenty of ice and then decorate. It is important that the glass is large.

 

1. Bloody Mary “Cesar Premium” 

– 1 ring of celery salt on the rim of the glass

– 1 cachucha pepper cut in half

– 1 coriander leaf cut in half

– 1 half of jalapeño pepper

– Lemon juice: 30 ml

– Worcestershire sauce: 15 ml 

– Soy sauce: 5 ml

– Kermato (spiced tomato) or regular tomato juice: 180 ml

– Vodka: 60 ml

Garnish: Depending on your taste, we recommend using the same ingredients that we use in the preparation, plus the octopus!

– 3 fried octopus tentacles

– 1 culantro Leaf

– 1 cachucha pepper

– Black pepper ground from above

 

2. Michelada de la casa

– 1 ring of salt around the glass rim

– 1 cachucha pepper cut in half

– 1 coriander leaf cut in half

– Lemon juice: 30 ml

– Worcestershire sauce: 10 – 15 ml

– Soy sauce: 5 ml

– Kermato (spiced tomato) or regular tomato juice: 30 ml

– Abundant ice

– 1 beer, preferably Cristal or Bucanero

Garnish: Depending on your taste, we recommend using 

the same ingredients that we use in the preparation:

– 1 culantro Leaf

– 1 cachucha pepper

– Black pepper ground from above

 

3. Gintonic “Red Point”

– 1 cachucha pepper, split in half.

– 3 juniper berries

– 2 cardamon pods

– 1 strip of lemon (for decoration)

– Tanqueray Geneva: 60 ml

– Abundant ice

– 1 bottle of Schweppes tonic

– 5 drops of orange bitters

Garnish:

– Half lemon

 

4. Piña Colada “La Horchata de Emilito”

– Horchata (mixture of coconut milk and pineapple juice), preferably Emilito’s one: 60 ml 

– Havana Club Rum 3 years: 60 ml

– 1 tablespoon of milk powder, preferably if it is from the corner cellar

– 5 ice cubes.

Garnish:

– 1 pineapple slice

Preparation:

– Pour the ingredients in this order and then beat. Decorate to your liking.

 

5. Mango daiquiri with cachucha pepper

– 4 tablespoons of sugar bar

– Lemon juice: 60 ml

– Maraschino: 5 ml

– Havana Club Rum 3 years: 60 ml

– 2 tablespoons of mango in pieces

– 1 red cachucha pepper

– Abundant blended ice

Garnish:

– 1 lemon wedge for glass rim with thin lemon peel strips that coil down glass stem

– 1 sprig of peppermint

Preparation:

Pour the ingredients in this order and then beat. Decorate to your liking.