Muse of Mixology title
Haitian Divorce
After being in the industry for 25+ years and writing for Got Rum! for over 7, I often believe I have heard of every rum drink on the planet. Naive of me, yes, as there are certainly thousands out there and especially those that are considered “modern classics” (cocktails invented between 1970 and today).
The Haitian Divorce is an enjoyable one I came across when visiting Austin, Texas, last week.
Tom Richter originally designed this eclectic cocktail at The Beagle in New York City. Sadly, the East Village sherry-centric bar closed its doors in 2013, but this original recipe lives on. Richter is the owner and creator of Tomr’s Tonic, a cinchona-based syrup meant to be mixed with gin and club soda. In 2012 when the Haitian Divorce was created, The Beagle had a running theme of matrimony-style drinks, everything from “Second Marriage” to “Shotgun Wedding,” designed by co-owner and beverage director Dan Greenbaum. Tom Richter started playing around with different iterations of the Old Fashioned (bourbon, sugar, bitters) and loved the combination of rum and mezcal, which provided notes you would most commonly smell and taste in a single malt scotch. The inherent smoky quality of mezcal mixed with the funky flavors of Rhum Agricole really pack a punch of complexity. This twist on a Rum Old Fashioned adds even more with Pedro Ximenez Sherry, which provides raisins, dates, and fig flavors. I absolutely love that it is written with both a lime AND orange twist, too. The oils of the lime brighten it right up, while the orange tends to round out all the ingredients.
Haitian Divorce
Have fun with this one! Remember that not all Haitian rums taste the same, and all mezcal definitely do not. I would encourage you to use a lightly smoky mezcal so that the rum still shines through and an aged Haitian rum so that it is the star of the drink.
Pro Tip: This cocktail is wonderful with chocolate bitters in place of the Angostura, and if you are a cigar-after-dinner type of person, this may just be the drink for you!!
Haitian Divorce
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Aged Haitian Rum
- .75 oz Espadin Mezcal
- .5 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry
- Two dashes of Angostura Bitters
Directions:
In a mixing glass, add all ingredients and stir well with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Zest a peel of lime and orange over the drink, and place it into the glass. Enjoy!!
