"You're a Daisy if you do...Daisy de Santiago"

I recently purchased a classic pair of books written by world traveler, Charles H. Baker, Jr.  His "Gentleman's Companion" books chronicle his bon vivant experiences as he ate and drank his way around the world between 1931 and 1939.  The stories about his experiences are told in a witty and refreshing outlook that I have yet to see from a writer, about the subject, during the same period.

Mr. Baker devotes half a page to this Bacardi original.  He calls it "a lovely thing" and goes on to tell that it was "Introduced to Us through the Gracious Offices of the Late Facuno Bacardi."  I will note here that his name is Facundo (Facund in Catalan), but not as Mr. Baker noted...that is just for the record.

     The Bacardi people were always mighty nice about taking visiting yachtsmen and other travelers through their factory, and the result was always amazingly gratifying in several ways.  As many of us know they have erected a special small skyscraper in Havana, too, where visitors may go for free Bacardi drinks, and we must confess that our name appears in four places on pages of their guest book in a brilliant modern bar smart enough to make New York jealous.  To our mind, along with the immortal Daiquiri, this is the best Bacardi drink on record.

     Take a big thin goblet and fill to the brim with shaved ice.  Take a bar glass and put in 1 1/2 jiggers Bacardi, the strained juice of 1 green lime, 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of bar syrup, optional.  Stir well and pour onto the ice, stir up once, garnish with green mint and fresh fruit, and float on 1/2 jigger of yellow Chartreuse.  Personally we find the Chartreuse brings all the sweetening we need, and squirt of charged water adds a sparkly. A lovely thing indeed.                     

                                                                                 - Charles H. Baker, Jr.

The Original Bacardi distillery in Santiago, Cuba

Bacardi Distillery established in 1862

Don Facundo Bacardi Masso

When I first saw this cocktail it really reached out to me.  First, I was intrigued to see yellow Chartreuse in a curiously Cuban cocktail, but even more so than that, was the praise for such a cocktail.  I couldn't wait to mix it and try it out.  I did play with the recipe a bit and this is what I settled on...

Barragan's Daisy de Santiago

2 oz Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum 

1 barspon of Rock Candy Syrup 

3/4 oz Lime Juice

1 oz Yellow Chartreuse

1 oz Soda Water

Fill a goblet with crushed ice.  In a shaker, add rum, syrup and lime juice and shake with ice.  Strain ingredients into the goblet and float 1 oz of yellow Chartreuse and 1 oz of soda water.  Garnish with fresh fruit, berries and a sprig of mint.

Salud!