Frank Meier presided over the bar at Paris’s Ritz Hotel in the ‘30s, when it was the richest corner of the richest town on Earth. This is one of his, and God bless him for it. The name comes from a long-defunct brand of Pineau des Charentes, a peculiar but tasty tipple made by casking up unfermented wine and new cognac and letting it sit for a few years. If you can’t get the Martinique rum, a medium-weight Jamaican type will work ok, although your Pompadour will lack the peculiar tang a true rhum agricole imparts. For that, you could try a Brazilian cachaça.
1 1/2 ounces St. James Martinique rum (amber)
1 1/2 ounces Pineau des Charentes
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
