It may sound like a dance but a swizzle is a sour style of drink made with a swizzle stick. Here’s a step by step guide on how to swizzle a cocktail followed by a recipe for the St Lucian Swizzle using Chairman’s Reserve Rum.
What is a Swizzle
A swizzle refers to a type of drink where the ingredients are churned with ice using a swizzle stick. David Wondrich attributes its origins to the arrival of ice in the Caribbean in the 1860s when locals began adding ice to Switchel, a drink made of molasses and water.
To swizzle means to mix a drink using a swizzle stick, not the plastic types that once garnished many drinks. The bar tool is a branch from the swizzle stick tree or Quararibea turbinata that is native to the Caribbean. The branches have 5 to 6 horizontal prongs at one end which when rotated between the palms of the hand churn the cocktail with crushed ice.
Swizzling a cocktail has the advantage of chilling the drink very quickly while incorporating air into the ingredients. Compared to stirring or shaking, it saves on ice as the crushed ice forms part of the drink. Furthermore, the swizzling action combined with the raising and lowering of the swizzle stick ensures it doesn’t disturb any muddled ingredients at the bottom of the glass.
How to Swizzle a Cocktail
To swizzle a cocktail, you need a swizzle stick or a barspoon.
- Build the cocktail in the glass and half-fill with crushed ice.
- Submerge the horizontal prongs at the end of the swizzle stick in the liquid and hold the shaft between your palms.
- Rotate the swizzle back and forth between your palms, in the same motion as if you were starting a fire while raising and lowering the stick into the glass for maximum stirring.
- Continue swizzling until the glass is well frosted.
- Add more crushed ice, top with bitters and garnish.
Below is a recipe for the St Lucian Swizzle, courtesy of The Forgotten Cask rum bar using Chairman’s Reserve Rum.
St Lucian Swizzle Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml Chairman’s Reserve Rum
- 20 ml falernum
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Glassware: Collins glass
Garnish: mint sprig
Method
In a large Collins glass, build Chairman’s Reserve Rum, falernum, fresh lime juice and half fill with crushed ice. Swizzle hard for 10 seconds until the glass frosts. Add more crushed ice and 2 dashes of bitters. Garnish with a mint sprig.
The St Lucian Swizzle is available on request at The Forgotten Cask rum bar in Sydney.
Photo Credit: Captar, used with permission.
In partnership with Big Island Wholesalers, distributors of Chairman’s Reserve Rum
