At Bar Kabawa in New York’s East Village, Kathryn “Pepper” Stashek offers a cocktail menu made entirely of rum-based drinks. Unsurprisingly, there is a heavy Prohibition-era Cuban influence running through it: a Mojito Caballito, a Daiquiri No. 3 (aka Hemingway) from Havana’s El Floridita bar, a riff on the Presidente—and a Golden Glove. Stashek wasn’t, at first, set on including the latter, forgotten classic on the menu. But after many frustrated attempts at developing the perfect Daiquiri No. 2 spec (after another Floridita classic)—one that would be the perfect orange-inflected Daiquiri—“I was like, oh, the reason it’s not hitting is because it needs to be a Golden Glove.”
Stashek first encountered the Golden Glove in the 1934 recipe booklet from El Floridita, one in a series from the famous Havana bar that, along with a similar series from Sloppy Joe’s, gives us a vivid picture of Cuba’s American-style bars in this period. But the first time she really saw its potential was while reading about it in Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean. Though very similar to the Daiquiri No. 2, the Golden Glove swaps out the white rum in favor of aged Jamaican rum, omits the orange juice, and, most importantly, blends the mixture to frozen perfection.
“I have to imagine that Constante [Ribalaigua Vert] maybe had a similar evolutionary process when he was developing this drink,” she says, “taking [the Daiquiri No. 2] and improving it.” Stashek is on a mission to show guests that frozen Daiquiris have an important mixological past predating their association with tourist traps and chain restaurants, and this drink makes an impressive case.
The original Golden Glove recipe as written is incredibly dry—like many Cuban cocktails of that period—calling for two ounces of rum, half a lime’s worth of juice, and just a teaspoon each of Cointreau and sugar. Stashek feels the Floridita spec is pretty near-perfect, and she made just a few slight tweaks for her Bar Kabawa version.
For the Jamaican rum, rather than searching for the perfect historical analogue, she wanted to use something that would appeal to guests’ palates. “I know a lot of bartenders love to dig into, ‘Well, what did they mean by Jamaican rum in 1934, what was available?’” Stashek says. “That’s not my deal.” Instead, she reached for the approachable standby Appleton Estate Signature, which she says plays the role perfectly, without a lot of funkiness or hogo.
Though Stashek’s recipe calls for just a teaspoon of Cointreau—the same small amount as in Ribalaigua’s—she says it gives the drink a “boost of flavor” that layers beautifully over the rum and lime. To balance the drink, she tripled the original spec’s teaspoon of sugar, calling for a tablespoon instead. Inspired by Garret Richard’s tropical drinks methodology, Stashek adds the modern touch of xanthan gum, which “smooths it out and gives it that nice, consistent texture.” An orange twist acts as a functional garnish, adding another citrusy kick on both the nose and the palate.
The Golden Glove isn’t the most popular option on Bar Kabawa’s menu, but the lesser-known drink is making some inroads. For Stashek, there’s a special kind of satisfaction when guests fall for the cocktail: “Nothing makes me happier than seeing somebody order a second Golden Glove.”
