The Old Poblano
Smoky, spicy, and warming... perfect for an Ontario spring.
by Erin Henderson
I love living in Toronto. I do. But this time of year tests my love.
I see all you west coasters and Europeans, flaunting your lascivious use of sunny patios, citrusy margaritas and minty mojitos in short reach.
You may also like: TWS Mojito
Not here.
Toronto is May is still a cold, and often grey, tundra of whipping wind, frost warnings, and heavy clouds. The last few years, there were snowstorms in the first week of the month.
So, my bright, refreshing cocktails will have to wait in the wings until the clouds part and the sun beams down like a warming spotlight.
Until that day comes, hopefully in a few weeks, I will try to appease Mother Nature with a drink more suitable to Toronto’s precarious climes.
The Old Poblano is a cocktail from America’s Test Kitchen’s How to Cocktail. It’s a fun kitchen project for those cold and rainy days of an eastern Canadian spring.
Your next read: Buttered Rum Hot Chocolate
Old Poblano
I've made two alternations from the ATK original recipe.
The first is adding just a teensy pinch of salt. Just like adding a little sprinkle to cookies or chocolate cake, salt boosts the flavour without leaving a noticbale salinity. The next is squeezing in a wedge of lime. Lime works so beautifully with fragrant rum, and the adicity gives a little lift to the heady drink.
Don't pass on this recipe just because it requires making ancho syrup, which requires a week to macerate. It takes no more effort than shaking once a day, and the rewards justify the (little) work involved.
Makes: 1 drink (and ½ litre of ancho syrup)
Bartender level: easy
Ingredients
- 2oz spicy amber rum
- 1 oz ancho syrup*
- 3 dashes citrus bitters
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp of lime juice (I just squirt in a wedge)
How to Make It
- Into a mixing glass add all the ingredients, top with ice and stir for about 20 seconds, or until you feel the ice lose its resistance.
- Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube.
- Garnish with a lime twist.
