Name: Esmeralda
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 50 ml Cachaça (unaged); 10 ml Peated malt whisky; 15 ml Elderflower liqueur; 15 ml Lime juice; 7.5 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1)

Ingredients

1 ²⁄₃ fl oz

Cachaça (unaged)

¹⁄₃ fl oz

Peated single malt whisky

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Elderflower liqueur

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

¹⁄₄ fl oz

Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lime wedge.

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with lime wedge.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Esmeralda contains 199 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
20.59% alc./vol. (41.17° proof)
21.5 grams of pure alcohol

Comments & Discussion

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Rob de Santos Premium Member 3w

Pleasant and the scotch and cachaca seemed to balance each other well but not something I'll add to the "library".

Simon Sedgley Premium Member 1y

We love this cocktail and think the combination of the "two ruffians" is inspired. But much as we love peated Scotch, the 10ml prescribed here is too much for our taste and we dial it back to 7.5ml or 5ml. Perhaps it's Islay's Lagavulin that we use that is too much of an alpha ruffian here.

Daniel Jones 2y

It was a very well balanced cocktail for me in the sweet to dry/sour range. This is an incredibly useful scale I've only seen used on this cocktail site that has led me to find many cocktails right in that 'sweet spot' for me. That being said I didn't enjoy the combination of St. Germain Elderflower liqueur & Novo Fogo silver Cachaça for a reason I can't quite describe. Like John said it does get better as it sits for a few minutes, maybe from temperature change or just settling.

Avery Garnett 3y

Tasty, but I don't get much of the elderflower or lime or anything except (balanced!) cachaca and peated whisky.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 3y

Simply delicious and way more complex than my first sip revealed. Is Esmeralda the elderflower in a polyamorous affair with funky cachaça and peaty scotch? Three assertive flavors in atomic harmony here.

John Hinojos Premium Member 4y

First sip tasted a bit medicinal. However, after letting it breathe and relax, it is quite pleasant. The tastes blend well together. I used a Clairin from Haiti as it is the closest to Cachaca that I can find in my liquor stores. It is also made from raw sugar cane.

Lawrence Becker 4y

We being less cachaça than Scotch drinkers, I made the ratio 4:2 instead of the called-for 5:1. Suited us fine. But I WILL try the original recipe next time. And thanks; would never have come up with this on my own!

Evan A Zamir 5y

I don't have Cachaca, is Rhum JM ok to substitute?

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 5y

Depending on your JM Rhum, it could be 50% alc./vol. which will be very dominant in this cocktail. JM is a different animal to cachaca but worth a try.

John Hinojos Premium Member 4y

I have found the unaged rhums from Haiti to be closer. Clarin makes some wonderful ones.

John Hinojos Premium Member 4y

Sorry that has a typo. Should be Clairin

Rebecca Jeanson 5y

note for myself: I only did 1 oz cachaca as that's all I had, and the cocktail was a bit odd. sour. cut the sugar as these cocktails are often too sweet but maybe I should have left it in?