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Airmail Cocktail

A supercharged Daiquiri made with honey and Champagne.

Airmail was the au courant way to send a letter back when a cocktail was named for it several decades into the 1900s. While the domestic airmail category was officially retired by the U.S. Postal Service in 1977 (succeeded by First Class postage), the drinkable sort has stuck around—but just barely. “The Airmail has come close to being forgotten to history, which is a shame, since on paper it’s such a no-brainer,” says Simon Dacey, general manager of London rum bar Trailer Happiness. “Everyone loves a Champagne cocktail, and everyone should love rum, so why wouldn’t you offer a combination of the two?”

Dacey calls the Airmail a remarkably simple reflection of the midcentury’s trend of tropical drinks. “Essentially, the drink is a supercharged Daiquiri: Honey adds complexity to the sweet portion of the drink, and Champagne provides elegance and effervescence in equal measure.” There’s also plenty of play to be found in the classic’s rum selection. A rich-flavored Cuban-style white rum or gentle- character aged rum appeals to most palates, and Dacey even likes experimenting with a split base— divided between a full-flavored white rum blend from Jamaica and Trinidad, and a grassy, golden rum—for his own Airmails. However you approach the rum selection, the result, he says, is a drink that remains refreshing, with additional layers of complexity.

Ingredients

  • 1 1⁄4 oz. Cuban-style white rum
  • 1⁄2 oz. fresh lime juice
  • 1⁄2 oz. honey syrup (2:1)
  • 1 oz. Champagne or other dry sparkling wine, to top
  • Tools:shaker, strainer, fine strainer
  • Glass:coupe
  • Garnish:small mint sprig

Preparation

Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice, then double strain into a chilled coupe. Top with Champagne, then garnish.

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