Created for the opening of a new Trader Vic's restaurant in the Havana Hilton (which opened in 1958) just months before Castro took power in 1959, the recipe was finally revealed in Vic's 1968 edition Bartenders Guide.
After the hotel was nationalized in 1960 and renamed the Habana Libre, the restaurant was renamed Polinesio, and still operates today with the original tiki theme and much of the original Trader Vic's decor. Now, if only we can get to Cuba to drink all the rum and see it!
As for the cocktail, it's a good one: It's your traditional sour specs but using Scotch instead of whiskey. There's also the addition of honey and passion fruit for a tropical pop!
Photo by Elevated Craft Crew member, Steve Cervantes | Follow Steve on Instagram at: @s.cervantes