El Duque

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Cocktail History

The El Duque is a modern cocktail that was created by Gabriel Orta and Elad Svi at Twenty-Seven Restaurant & Bar in Miami Beach, Florida. The recipe is essentially a coffee-flavored variation of the Manhattan that uses four untraditional ingredients you don’t typically see in the classic, including rum, cream sherry, cold-brew coffee, and chocolate.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. I used Flor De Caña 4 Year Añego Oro Rum.

Cream Sherry: This is a type of sherry made with a blend of dry wine and sweet wine. I used Don Benigno Cream Sherry.

Cold-Brew Coffee: This is a type of coffee made by steeping coffee beans in room temperature water for 12-18 hours. I used Soul Brewed Coffee Cold-Brew Coffee.

Chocolate Bitters: This is a food product made with chocolate, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark brown color

• Aroma: Citrus and coffee

• Taste: Ice-cold coffee flavor mixed with sweet cream sherry and chocolate

• Finish: Distinct rum spices

Kendall’s Take: “There’s no denying that Espresso Martinis are in right now, but if you’re not one to follow trends, this is a coffee-flavored cocktail that’s much more sophisticated, in my opinion. I don’t personally drink coffee so it wasn’t my favorite drink we’ve tried recently, but I could see a frequent downer of the beverage absolutely loving the El Duque. I tried this with a friend who loves a good coffee drink, and seeing his reaction to the first sip was proof.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.