Pauline Cocktail

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After many years of writing for Got Rum? Magazine, I am always hunting for lesser-known, rare rum cocktails. It doesn’t mean they aren’t good, either- it just means they didn’t end up in mainstream cocktail recipes. I came across the Pauline Cocktail a few weeks ago and ran home to make it. As with most drinks, it could go onto a cocktail family tree where with just a few tweaks it ends up on a different branch. The Pauline is interesting because it is reminiscent of the classic Daiquiri: Rum- Lime- Sugar… but it has lemon instead of lime. (Yes they are different!)  It can also be compared to a Corpse Reviver: Gin- Curaçao- Lemon- Absinthe… but there is no Curaçao. You could definitely call it a sour, which traditionally has a spirit, lemon, and simple syrup, and you could even consider it a punch. 

So, what exactly is the Pauline and where did it come from? The 1930 book The Savoy, written by the legend Harry Craddock, listed the Pauline as a large “group serve”. Here is the original recipe: 

  • 3 glasses Rum
  • 3 glasses of Sweetened lemon juice
  • 1 dash Absinthe bitters
  • A little nutmeg, grated

Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.  This cocktail is so obscure and hard to recreate. There is no mention of what type of rum (this all depends on what you want your end product to taste like). Three “glasses” don’t tell me much about the size of the glass….but what this recipe does do is suggest that the rum and the sweetened lemon juice are equal parts. This can work. I also love the addition of nutmeg which transforms this light and crisp spring cocktail into something with a little more depth and would also make it very seasonal, from warm weather to cold. Aside from knowing it came from The Savoy, I can find NOTHING about this drink’s history. Use your imagination, I suppose. Here is my personal favorite recipe, having made it a few different ways. Enjoy!!

  PAULINE

  • 2 oz. Unaged Rum (your choice of where the rum is coming from as that will certainly make a difference. I used Jamaican in one and Puerto Rican in another and I loved them both. The main thing is you want the rum to shine through but you also don’t want it to overpower the Absinthe)
  • .75 oz. Lemon Juice
  • .75 oz. Simple Syrup
  • ⅛ oz. Absinthe

Shake well with ice, and strain into a coupe glass. Grate fresh nutmeg over the top. Garnish with a lemon twist.  Pro Tip: Get creative with this one. Add lavender or herbs. Try using honey syrup instead of sugar syrup. There are a lot of ways to make this recipe unique to you.