The Nico Melendez

Recipe from the Merchant Hotel bar

Adapted by Rosie Schaap

The Nico Melendez
Miriam O’Connor for The New York Times
Rating
4(27)
Notes
Read community notes

Nicole Kane, a bartender at the elegant cocktail bar at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland, devised this sophisticated rum-based cocktail. It requires a bit of work — two syrups must be made — but the results are impressive. For optimal flavor, freshly squeezed juices are essential. (Any leftover cinnamon syrup — and those chocolate bitters — can be deployed to make a delicious, surprising variation on an Old-Fashioned). —Rosie Schaap

Featured in: That Belfast Spirit

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Ingredients

  • 2oz. dark rum
  • 1oz. freshly squeezed blood-orange juice
  • ½oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1tsp. molasses syrup (2:1 ratio of molasses to boiling water, cooled)
  • 1tsp. cinnamon syrup (see recipe)
  • 1dash chocolate bitters
  • Mint sprigs
  • Orange twist
  • Cracked cinnamon
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Shake the liquid ingredients with ice, and strain into a rocks glass filled with cracked ice. Garnish with the mint sprigs, orange twist and cinnamon.

Ratings

4 out of 5
27 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Rhet

Would Fees Aztec Bitters [cocoa and cinnamon] work?

Abbey

You could make several variations of this. Could try shaking mint with it. Could try charred orange. Cocoa bitters bring out vanilla in rum.

DogMa77

I was so excited when I read this column. It seemed like the perfect unattainable place to go and drink to have. But, we ended up going to Belfast for the world police and fire games. It was incredible. This bar is spectacular. Really Victorian. When I asked for this drink, and did I mention they have a huge book of drinks. They had absolutely no idea what I was talking about and insisted on seeing the article which I had brought, like a silly tourist. I never felt like such a fool in my life.

CSBeard62

Overall good. Our feeling was perhaps up the lime juice a bit more, which we did. Definitely autumnal. Wouldn’t work in May, very nice to serve in October.

Rhet

Would Fees Aztec Bitters [cocoa and cinnamon] work?

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Credits

Adapted from the Merchant Hotel bar, Belfast.

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