It is a prominent member of a cocktails genre from the West Indies that started most likely in the 19th century, but has gained recent popularity in New York City.[1] Other drinks in genre include the Bermuda Swizzle and the Barbados Red Rum Swizzle.[1] These drinks are "swizzled" with a swizzle stick.[1] It is traditionally from a tree native to the Caribbean called Quararibea turbinate, locally known as the swizzle stick tree or commonly known as the South Caribbean evergreen tree.[1][3] However, although there are wooden swizzle sticks in addition to metal and plastic ones in the present day, they are usually not from the original tree.[3]
The ingredients of rum, lime juice, sugar, and mint are similar to the Mojito.[3] One key ingredient that contrasts the drink is Angostura bitters, one of Trinidad's most famous exports.[3] Also, the drink uses Demerara rum (rather than the light rum in the Mojito).[3] Demerara rum comes from Guyana from sugarcane grown on the banks of the Demerara River, and is comparable to Jamaican rum.[3]
The drink's name comes from the hotel, Queen's Park Hotel, in Port of Spain, Trinidad where it was first created in the 1920s.[4][5] Port of Spain was at the time a thriving trade center and vacation destination among the wealthy.[5] The Queen's Park Savannah neighborhood was its leisure center of eating, drinking and dancing, and the Queens Park Hotel was the main attraction.[5] The hotel opened on January 15, 1895.[6]
The hotel was moderately successful through 1920, and more so after the 18th Amendment was passed, making the purchase and consumption of alcohol illegal in the United States.[4]Prohibition prompted many well-to-do Americans to leave the country on weekend trips to the Caribbean where they could legally drink.[4] Queen's Park Hotel has been said to be one of the grandest hotel bars at the time.[5]
Hotels abroad hired previously employed American bartenders who brought in clients and cocktail expertise.[4] The Queen's Park Hotel asked the bartenders to concoct a signature drink.[4] They modified a popular drink at the time, the Daiquiri, and added mint and locally made Angostura bitters.[4]
The Queen's Park Swizzle enjoyed many years of popularity.[4]Trader Vic's named it "the most delightful form of anesthesia given out today" in 1946.[3][4][5][6] Bergeron wrote in the 1972 edition of the Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide, "If you like to make and drink a real doozer of a rum drink that really is a rum drink, try this. It’s from the Queen’s Park Hotel in Trinidad."[6][7] The original Queen's Park Hotel closed in 1996.[3][4]
Preparation
The drink is traditionally served in a Collins or highball glass.[2][3][8] In the glass, mint leaves are muddled with lime juice and syrup (Demerara or simple).[2][3][8] Demerara rum, Angostura bitters, and then crushed ice is added.[2][3][8] The drink is swizzled with a swizzle stick until the drink is mixed and the glass is completely frosted.[2][3][8] A bar spoon can substitute the swizzle stick.[3][9] The swizzle method allows the muddled mint to stay at the bottom.[3] Sometimes, bitters are added to the crushed ice to give the ice layer a red appearance, so that the drink will have green, gold, and red layers.[3] The drink is then garnished with a mint sprig.[2][3][8]
Variations
The Kona Swizzle is a variation of the Queen's Park Swizzle and contains spiced rum, coffee, and orgeat.[10][11][12]
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