Pan-am Express Recipe

Pan-Am Express Cocktail

1. 1

   Prepare glass

   Chill a double old-fashioned or tiki-style glass by filling it with ice and setting aside, or place in the freezer for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, discard the chilling ice and set the glass aside.

2. 2

   Muddle herbs

   In a cocktail shaker, place the fresh mint leaves and simple syrup. Gently muddle 6 of the mint leaves — just a few presses — to release aromatic oils without shredding the leaves. This provides an herbal lift without bitterness.

3. 3

   Combine ingredients

   Add white rum (2 oz), dark rum (0.5 oz), fresh pineapple juice (2 oz), fresh lime juice (0.75 oz), falernum (0.5 oz), and green Chartreuse (0.25 oz) to the shaker. Add the Angostura bitters (2 dashes). Fill the shaker with crushed ice until about three-quarters full.

4. 4

   Shake

   Cap the shaker and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until the outside of the shaker becomes very cold and well-diluted. This chills the drink and integrates the liqueur and juices.

5. 5

   Prepare serving glass with ice

   Fill the chilled serving glass with fresh crushed ice (about 1 cup).

6. 6

   Double strain and pour

   Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared glass over the crushed ice using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove mint fragments and any large ice shards.

7. 7

   Finish and garnish

   Gently slap the remaining 2 mint leaves between your palms to release aroma, then tuck them on top of the drink. Add a pineapple wedge or mint sprig on the rim. Lightly grate a pinch of fresh nutmeg over the top for an aromatic, almost tropical-spiced finish.

8. 8

   Serve

   Serve immediately with a short cocktail straw. Encourage the drinker to stir lightly once or twice to bring up the Chartreuse and falernum into the mix as the ice melts.