The awesome classic airmail cocktail is one of those old fashioned drinks that everybody loves because their deliciousness has stood the test of time!
The combination of spirits in this classic airmail cocktail is unusual. If you served it without telling the lucky person what was in it, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. Well, they might guess it contains champagne because the drink is served in a flute. But other than that, it’s rather difficult to distinguish with surety the separate flavors!
I’ve seen it made a few different ways, but I like this recipe the best because it balances the flavors so perfectly.
I was doing some research on the origins of this cocktail and I found conflicting information. Some sources say that right before Prohibition started in the United States, a bunch of champagne destined for America got waylaid and showed up on Cuba’s beaches. Some brilliant bartender mixed it up and the airmail cocktail started appearing in Havana’s bars. Others say that Bacardi made it up and started adding it to the pamphlet that came with a bottle of their gold rum.
So, I use gold rum, freshly squeezed lime juice, honey syrup, champagne and a few drops of bitters.
I grab my cocktail shaker and fill it 1/2 way with ice. I always fill it 1/2 way. What about you? Comment and let me know.
I pour 2 ounces of gold Bacardi rum.
Next up, the honey syrup. I use 1 ounce of the syrup which translates to 1:1 ration of 0.5 ounce of honey and 0.5 ounce of water. I stir them together until they are combined. Pictured below is just the honey.
I pour the syrup into the shaker.
I get my juicer and juice 1 ounce of fresh lime.
I pour the juice into the shaker and cap it. Time to shake the airmal cocktail for 30 seconds. I strain the liquid into the champagne flute.
Next, I fill the rest of the flute with champagne. The bigger the flute, the more champagne.
Once it’s full, it’s time for the bitters. I carefully dribble 3 drops right on top of the cocktail.
Here are 2 more views.
As I stated before, there are different versions of this awesome classic airmail cocktail. Some peeps use different measurements, and some don’t use bitters, but it’s really good in my opinion with it! Try it both ways and let me know what you think.
This classic drink is a fine blend of flavors and refreshing and delish!
Some people serve it in a glass instead of a flute which means you can add more champagne. That's the beauty of recipes. You can change them whenever you want to suit your needs.
I think my father used to enjoy these cocktails. I’m intrigued and want to try this one!