Eddie Woelke, who worked at the Weylin Bar from 1936 to 1941, made the drink. A bar called the Madison Bar was located in a 1921 hotel on Madison Avenue in New York City with the same name. Woelke fled to Cuba to operate a bar during Prohibition, and he became known for creating the El Presidente cocktail and Mary Pickford cocktail. In all three, rum is the basis of the drink, so he certainly prefers it to the others. There was a time when the Madison Avenue Cocktail was a great classic drink that tasted like a mojito, but with added complexity. There is the same mix of rum, lime, and mint, but instead of muddles, this mixer incorporates a hint of orange liqueur (Cornteau is suggested).
The cocktail offers a good balance of both familiar and unique flavors for a refreshing and enjoyable experience. It’s not meant to be a mint cocktail, but rather one with a hint of mint flavor. The use of a few mint leaves rather than a full sprig of mint is necessary to give the drink balance.
Tips
- The recipe calls for equal parts of orange liqueur and lime juice, poured in a mug 3/4 ounce at a time. Try this cocktail with an aged rum if you want it to have a little more depth, even if you want to use white rum (or light rum).
- If you don’t want to muddle the leaves, you can lightly slap or tear them between your palms to stir up the essential oils. When they become fragrant, you will notice that they are more pleasant to smell.
- With lime juice fresh from the trees, Madison Avenue will become better.
