JavaScript is not enabled!
For information on how to enable Javascript on your browser click here.

Optimist

Name: Optimist
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 50 ml Light white rum; 30 ml Fino sherry; 15 ml Lime juice; 15 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1); 2 dash Creole bitters

Difford’s Guide

Discerning Drinkers (45)

Measurements in:

Serves:

Keep screen awake

Ingredients
1 2/3 fl oz	Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)
1 fl oz	Lustau Jarana Fino Sherry
1/2 fl oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 fl oz	Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix
2 dash	Peychaud's or other Creole-style bitters

How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Flute glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a FLUTE GLASS.
RIM glass with charcoal powder (moisten outside edge with lime juice and dip into charcoal).
Prepare garnish of grapefruit zest twist.

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled, rimmed glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS grapefruit zest twist over cocktail and discard.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Optimist contains 182 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
16.45% alc./vol. (32.9° proof)
19.5 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Fino sherry — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

Adapted from a recipe created in 2014 for Bacardi Legacy by Roman Foltan at the Artesian Bar at The Langham Hotel, London, England.

Review

Fino sherry and Creole bitters brilliantly set this riff on a classic Daiquiri apart. Beautifully balanced and delicately flavoured. If you apply the charcoal rim, perhaps leave a lipstick saving space rather than encircling the rim.

Cocktail of the day:

29th July 2026 is National Lipstick Day

Don Q Cristal Rum 750ml - makes 15 cocktails
$12.99 $0.87 per cocktail Don Q Cristal Rum image

$0.87 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 15 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.

Orders are processed by a licensed Fulproof retailer. The buy now button is added simply for convenience.

Checkout

* May not include all ingredients. Price per cocktail is an estimate based on cost of one cocktail with ingredients shown above and does not include shipping.

Comments & Discussion

Please log in to make a comment

Herbert Brant 3y

Seems to be missing a key ingredient. The cristal rum and fino sherry don't form a strong enough foundation for the drink. Sadly, I found this recipe quite dull and forgettable.

John Hinojos Premium Member 4y

A perfect aperitif. Did not find it too sweet, but that would be impacted if the rum has been adulterated with sugar (there are a lot of them) and the sweetness of your sherry. The cocktail starts out being strong on the sherry taste, but that seems to soften as the cocktail breathes.

Richard Christmas 4y

Seemed rather sweet and rather characterless to me, though pleasant enough. Doubling the amount of lime juice woke it up a bit.

Mark Shah 4y

What's the reason for this being in a flute? Just curious. It's delicious by the way!

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 4y

That's a question for Roman Foltan.

View 4 comments and discussion