Clinton Cawood looks into the recent past for this neo-classic - to Connaught Bar and Ago Perrone.
In the decade and a half since it was created, the Mulata Daisy has been on track to become just as much of an enduring classic as the drink it takes inspiration from, if not more.
While the Mulata Daiquiri dates back to the 1930s or 1940s, likely to Floridita in Havana, the modern Daisy version has its origins in 2008, in London.
It was here, just after the opening of The Connaught Bar, that Ago Perrone set out to create his entry for the Bacardi Legacy cocktail competition, keeping the original’s rum, lime, sugar and creme de cacao, and adding Galliano L’Autentico and fennel seeds.
Clinton“I wanted to create something that could represent the essence of Latin and Cuban vibes, mood, aromas and sensations, with a touch of my personality,” says Perrone, remembering the subsequent year of promotion required by the competition. “At the time social media wasn’t as powerful, so press, travel and trade networking were the key vehicles to spread the word.”
It worked, with the drink being listed at a number of bars worldwide and continuing to make appearances, in various forms. In Perrone’s words: “It has become a symbol of new classic cocktails created by contemporary bartenders during a decade where mixology really started its contemporary golden era.”
Mulata Daisy
50ml white Cuban rum
20ml dark crème de cacao
10m Galliano l’Autentico
25ml fresh lime juice
1-2 barspoons white caster sugar
2 barspoons fennel seeds
100% organic cocoa powder to rim the glass
1 half lime, for moistening the rim of the glass
Method
Spread some cocoa powder our on a plate. Prepare a coupette by moistening the rim with half a lime at a 45-degrees angle and then dip the rim of the glass in the cocoa powder until coated. Pour the Galliano l’Autentico into the coupette to give the drink a silky texture and clear appearance. Combine the lime juice, sugar and fennel seeds in a cocktail shaker and lightly muddle to dissolve the sugar and express the character of the fennel seeds. By mixing the sugar and lime juice in this way, you get a crisper texture and flavour. Add the rum and crème de cacao and some ice cubes to the shaker, then shake and double strain into the prepared coupette.