Rum

Tortuga

Name: Tortuga
Yield: 1 servings

Glass: Chimney

Trader Vic's multi-juice rum sour with chocolate, orange, and vermouth, a tribute to Constantino Ribalaigua.

rum tiki mid-century shaken classic polynesian-pop

Ingredients

fresh orange juice (1.5 oz)
fresh lemon juice (1 oz)
fresh lime juice (0.5 oz)
grenadine (1 tsp)
sweet vermouth (1 oz)
creme de cacao (1 tsp)
orange curacao (1 tsp)
151-proof rum (1 oz)
mint bouquet

The Tortuga first appears in Bergeron's Book of Food and Drink (1946, pp. 68–69), again in the 1947 Bartender's Guide (p. 371), and is materially revised in the 1972 Bartender's Guide, Revised (p. 187).¹^,² The 1946 and 1947 editions specify a two-rum split (1 oz 123-proof Havana Club + 1 oz 151-proof Demerara, with 1 oz Italian vermouth, dashes of curaçao, crème de cacao, and grenadine, plus ½ oz each of orange / lime / lemon juice, shaken and strained over crushed ice in a 14-oz chimney glass). The 1972 revision drops the Havana Club, runs the 151-proof Demerara at 1¼ oz, and increases orange juice to 1½ oz, blending rather than shaking. The spec below is a modern adaptation that drops the now-unavailable 123-proof Havana Club and uses 151 Demerara alone, sitting between the two Vic editions. Vic framed the drink with multi-juice, chocolate, orange, and vermouth notes; the Ribalaigua / Cuban-style attribution is part of broader secondary commentary.³

Brand recommendations. Best: Hamilton 151 Demerara or Lemon Hart 151 for the overproof, Carpano Antica or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino sweet vermouth, Tempus Fugit or Marie Brizard white crème de cacao, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, homemade grenadine or Liber & Co. Real Grenadine. Economical: Cruzan 151, Martini & Rossi Rosso, DeKuyper white crème de cacao, Senior Curaçao of Curaçao, Rose's Grenadine.

Instructions

Combine fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, grenadine, sweet vermouth, creme de cacao, orange curacao, and 151-proof rum in a shaker with crushed ice.
Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and pour everything (ice and all) into a chimney glass.
Garnish with a mint bouquet.

Sources

Bergeron, Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink (1946), pp. 68–69, and Bartender's Guide, by Trader Vic (1947), p. 371, the earliest two Vic printings of the Tortuga; both share the two-rum 123-proof-Havana-plus-151-Demerara architecture. ↩
Bergeron, Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide, Revised (1972), p. 187, the 1972 revised spec, which drops the Havana Club, raises the 151-Demerara pour to 1¼ oz, increases orange juice to 1½ oz, and switches from shake to blender. ↩
Vintage American Cocktails, "Tortuga." https://vintageamericancocktails.com/tortuga-cocktail/ (accessed 2026-05-03), frontmatter source URL; reproduces a Vic-derived spec. The Ribalaigua / Cuban-style framing in the leading note is from broader secondary literature rather than this URL. ↩