The Periodista Recipe

As I wrote on Wednesday, apricot liqueur (often sold as "apricot brandy") lends a subtle touch of jammy stone-fruit richness to a number of classic cocktails. Here's a drink made with apricot liqueur that's enjoying a certain degree of popularity in Boston, though it can be hard to come across in other places: the Periodista.

The Periodista's origins are somewhat hazy. With its daiquiri-like base, it has the hallmarks of a Cuban cocktail from the 1920s or '30s, though attempts to trace its time and place of birth have so far been unsuccessful (not for lack of trying; Boston-based blogger Devin Hahn is in relentless pursuit of the drink's origins).

Regardless of its background, the Periodista is very easy to love. Starting with the basic rum-lime-sugar building blocks of a daiquiri, the Periodista is gussied up with the addition of two liqueurs: Cointreau, the dry orange liqueur that lends crispness and elegance to most drinks it encounters, and the aforementioned apricot liqueur, which makes the drink richer more alluring.

Some Periodista recipes call for a light rum, and others for a dark Jamaican rum; really, it's a matter of personal preference. With light rum, the drink will be somewhat brighter and more crisp, while a dark rum will make a cocktail that's deeper and richer.

My vote: go for a light rum such as Banks Five Island, if you can find it, or Flor de Cana, or if you want the richer direction, try something like Appleton Estate Reserve or Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum.