A historic Caribbean cocktail, the Queen’s Park Swizzle will quell your thirst with a rich and tropical swirl of flavors.
As many of us are seasoned cocktail enthusiasts and have probably had more than our fair share of famous and timeless tipples, we all more than likely share similar stories when it comes to what we like to imbibe and when.
We’ve all been in the following situation, I’m sure: It’s a hot and muggy night. Even though the sun has long since set in the West, the evening is still a tad stifling, causing you and your friends to perspire, and your nice clothes to start sticking to your skin.
You hit the first bar you come across. The music is pumping and the clientele is all incredibly attractive. This must be the place. So you go in, stand at the bar and order a round of minty fresh Mojitos to cool you down. Then another. Before you know it, the good vibes are flowing, and everyone feels a few degrees cooler. Of course, the mint and citrus-tinged libation you sipped on helped. And as you order a third glass, you begin to wonder… “What else is out there? What else is like this?”
Back during the 1920s at the Queen’s Park Hotel in Trinidad, another such cocktail was born. Tonight’s recipe, the Queen’s Park Swizzle, is a minty and refreshing libation comprised of mint, lime juice, bitters, simple syrup and a rich demerara rum, all swizzled together over crushed ice. The drink has remained so popular in the Caribbean island nation that it is considered its “unofficial” beverage. Angostura, which is a Trinidadian company that produces the famous bitters we all know and love, is said to have even campaigned to make it the “official” cocktail of the country.
Even though the Queen’s Park Hotel no longer exists, since it unfortunately closed in the 1990s, the classic cocktail that bears its name lives on.
What is the best rum to use in a Queen’s Park Swizzle?
This drink is a tad different from other rum-based beverages, as the spirit that is used is a Guyanese liquor called demerara rum. Originating from the Demerara region of Guyana, demerara rum is a rich, full-bodied and spiced molasses-distilled alcohol. Produced by a single distillery in wooden stills that help give the rum its very unique and distinct flavor, the spirit comes in three varieties: clear, aged and overproof. Hamilton is a brand that sells a few different types of demerara, from 86 to 151 proof.
Ingredients
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 ounce demerara simple syrup
- 2 ounces demerara rum
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Crushed ice
- 4 dashes Angostura bitters
- 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
- Mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Gently muddle the mint leaves with the demerara simple syrup in a chilled highball or collins glass.
- Add the demerara rum and lime juice to the glass. Fill the glass about two-thirds full with crushed ice.
- Insert a swizzle stick (or a long barspoon) into the drink, ensuring it reaches the bottom of the glass. Swizzle by rotating the stick rapidly between the palms of your hands. Continue until the outside of the glass becomes well-frosted.
- Top the glass with more crushed ice, forming a slight dome on top. Dash the Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters directly onto the top of the ice and garnish with a large, fresh mint sprig.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
This is a cocktail with a very specific way to prep, so once you have your collins or highball glass filled with crushed ice—and it MUST be crushed—make sure you follow our instructions for a satisfying sipper. Garnish with some fresh sprigs of mint on top.
What is a swizzle stick?
Basically, a swizzle stick is a long, skinny barspoon with a splayed end. You stir your cocktail by spinning it in your drink between the palms of your hands. Originally, these were procured from the Quararibea turbinata tree, whose thin branches had small prongs on the end that helped stir mixed drinks. These days, you can just buy a metal, silver or plastic one for your home bar.
Similar cocktails to the Queen’s Park Swizzle
As the months creep toward winter and the nights get longer, a chill begins to seep into the air. You roll up the sleeves of your favorite sweater, wondering where the summer went, marveling at how fast it seemed to disappear. You miss the high sun of a Friday in July, while splashing in the cool waves lapping at a shandy shore. Some of you can always fly down to the islands, but many of us aren’t able to. So we bring the Caribbean home with a few of its popular and traditional cocktail recipes.
- Sky Juice – Creamy and refreshing, this gin concoction is guaranteed to cool you down.
- Corn ‘N’ Oil – Blackstrap rum and citrus make up this Barbadian favorite.
- Ti’ Punch – Spend a hot summer evening with this traditional Caribbean elixir.
- Caribeño – Lime juice, sugar, coconut water and rum help to reinvigorate your senses in this mixture.
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