Periodista

Name: Periodista
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces dark rum; 1/2 ounce triple sec, preferably Combier; 1/2 ounce apricot liqueur, preferably Rothman & Winter; 1/2 ounce lime juice

Recipe from Joe McGuirk

Adapted by Robert Simonson

Periodista — Kayana Szymczak for The New York Times

Rating: 4(73)
Comments: Read comments

In 1995, Joe McGuirk was tending bar at Chez Henri, a bistro in Cambridge, Mass., with an executive chef of Cuban descent. Mr. McGuirk was asked to come up with a menu of Latin-flavored cocktails. He found a rum drink called the periodista (Spanish for “journalist”) in a liquor company's cocktail book and gave it a whirl. Mr. McGuirk did a little tinkering and delivered a cocktail, under the same name, that called for Myer’s rum, apricot brandy, Rose’s lime juice, triple sec and a bit of sugar. The drink took off and was soon served across the Boston area. Mr. McGuirk continued to work on the recipe. Here is the one he currently uses. —Robert Simonson

Featured in: Cocktails Only a Local Could Love

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink

1½ounces dark rum
½ounce triple sec, preferably Combier
½ounce apricot liqueur, preferably Rothman & Winter
½ounce lime juice

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker three-quarters filled with ice. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe.

Ratings

4 out of 5

73 user ratings

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Comments

Mark4 years ago

I would say that these are indeed crafts. It takes time, skill, creativity, and entrepreneurship to succeed. Poorly made coffee and cocktails aren't worth the $ or the calories. Why not celebrate these these professions that give us all so much pleasure?

DB7 years ago

Despite spending almost all of my life in the Boston area I'd never actually had this before. I used Appleton Estate in place of Myers's, and Cointreau in place of Combier, as I had neither of those on hand. The result is a complex and delicious, albeit boozy, daiquiri variation easily worth five stars.

Scott6 years ago

“Thank You!” NYTs and Joe for immortalizing my favorite drink from the sadly closed Chez Henri. There are many fond memories in this drink for me. Notably, all the times my wife I and ate dinner at the bar, never quite making it to the dining room, because the Cuban sandwiches at Chez Henri’s bar were beyond extraordinary. If you could publish an authentic recipe for the missing Cuban sandwich, plantain chips, and salsa to accompany the Periodista my life would be complete. Cheers! :)

Lee Cornelison9 months ago

Enjoyed many of these at Chez Henri! Enjoy making these at home now. I find that any dark-ish rum will produce a tasty cocktail... just make sure it is served very cold!

Jack White11 months ago

I had my first periodista several years ago at the bar at Havana, a Cuban-ish restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine. I've had several (!) more since then, including many subsequent visits to Bar Harbor. At home, I alternate between dark and white rum depending on my mood, occasionally half of each, and I use Cointreau. One time, in a pinch, I substituted peach liqueur for apricot, and found I preferred it, and stuck with it. But that's just me.

Fritz H.1 year ago

This is an amazing cocktail, and like the other commenter here, I use an alternate triple sec and apricot liqueur. It's still swell. We are lucky enough to have Joe McGuirk tending bar at Highland Kitchen in Somerville, and he's a lovely guy and a great mixer of drinks. Cheers to him and to this cocktail.

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