The Air Mail
Everyone loves bubbles. Everyone loves rum.
by Erin Henderson
Why this drink is called an Air Mail, is not easily explained.
A search through the internet suggests this riff on a French 75 cocktail was created in the early 1900's and named for the posh way of sending an important letter as air mail.
As with many terrific tipples from a bygone era, the Air Mail nearly disappeared from bartenders' recipe books sometime during or after Prohibition. But, like many cocktails that suffered the same fate, the swinging, foreward thinking mixologists in 1990's New York City, brought the Air Mail back from the dead to new-found acclaim.
You may also like: French 75
Air Mail
The Air Mail is also easy to batch ahead of time for parties. Just shake up the amount of rum, lime and simple syrup for the amount of drinks you plan to serve. When needed, pour off into flutes and top with fresh bubbly.
Makes: 1 drink
Bartender level: easy
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ oz spiced rum
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- About 4 oz dry sparkling wine
- Lime twist, for garnish
How to Make It:
- Add the rum, lime and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a champagne flute and top with bubbly and the lime twist garnish.