Cocktail recipe: Hotel Nacional from the Eveleigh

Just because you can’t travel to Cuba from the United States doesn’t mean that you can’t drink like you’re on holiday in Havana. Eveleigh barman Dave Kupchinsky has created a languorous summer treat with a cocktail called Hotel Nacional. The drink tips its rim to the actual Hotel Nacional de Cuba, which is near the sea in the bustling Vedado neighborhood of Havana. It opened in 1930, after which Americans, including Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway, sought regular respite in its luxurious environs. It’s possible they even enjoyed a drink much like Kupchinsky’s, made with a refreshing mixture of light rum, tart lime and just a hint of bitters and sweet apricot brandy. Either way, one sip and you can conjure the balmy Caribbean.

Eveleigh, 8752 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A. (424) 239-1630; https://www.theeveleigh.com

jessica.gelt@latimes.com

Hotel Nacional

4 minutes. Serves 1

1 1/2 ounces light rum, preferably Matusalem

1/2 ounce lime juice

1 tablespoon cane sugar

3/4 ounce fresh pineapple juice

1 barspoon (about 1 teaspoon) apricot eau de vie

1 dash bitters, preferably Angostura

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain. Serve immediately.

EACH SERVING

Calories 177

Protein 0

Carbohydrates 18 grams

Fiber 0

Fat 0

Cholesterol 0

Sugar 17 grams

Sodium 1 mg

NOTE: Adapted from Dave Kupchinsky at Eveleigh.