Friday, March 23, 2012

Don Q: Flor de Encanto

Don Q annually hosts a cocktail competition in conjunction with the USBG, and this is my first year participating (I joined too late to participate last year).  Our competition is on Sunday, and so I thought I'd share my entry.  Don Q rum is from Puerto Rico, and they ask competitors to showcase the spirit of the island in their cocktail in some way.  The state flower of Puerto Rico is a type of hibiscus, so I used that as my base idea.  Once I nailed down the recipe, I was lost on a name.  I thought a great idea might be to look into some of the folklore, and I came across the legend of Guanina--a star-crossed lovers sort of story.  I decided on "The Enchanted Flower" (also fitting, as the nickname of Puerto Rico is "Isle of Enchantment").  Then, seeing as how I work with a girl from Puerto Rico, she helped me translate the name.  The dash of cinnamon is a nod to the Spanish history linked with the island, as the Spanish were (of course) quite into the spice trade.


Flor de Encanto
Glass:  Large cocktail
Garnish: Dash of ground cinnamon
Method:  Shake and Strain

Ingredients
1.5 oz Don Q Gold rum
.25 oz Fruitlab Organic Hibiscus liqueur
1.5 oz Fresh Orange juice
.25 oz Fresh Lime juice
.75 oz Simple Syrup (1:1 ratio)

Shake with ice and strain into a large cocktail glass.  Garnish with a dash of cinnamon over top and enjoy! 


And, as a little bonus, some photos from the competition:



 

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