Put your stamp on happy hour with this fun and fizzy Airmail Cocktail. It’s the perfect drink for a backyard barbecue or a summer soiree.
The vintage Airmail Cocktail was first delivered up in Havana, Cuba in the 1940s, shortly after airmail delivery services were taking off. Made with rum, lime juice, some honey simple syrup, and sparkling wine, it’s the ideal combination of sweet, tart, and bubbly.
🌟 Why you’ll love this airmail cocktail
Why should you make this high-flying drink for your next get together? Here are just a few reasons:
- They’re so easy to mix — coming together in just a few minutes.
- All it takes is five common ingredients. No special, hard-to-find ingredients are required.
- The champagne adds a pleasantly surprising fizz, perfectly refreshing for a warm spring or summer party.
🍸 Ingredient notes
Just a handful of ingredients go into making this classy cocktail:
Rum – Use your favorite white rum.
Champagne – The airmail cocktail is traditionally made with Champagne. And we think this gives the drink the best flavor. However, you can substitute with a sparkling wine instead if that’s what you have on hand.
Simple Syrup – Use your own homemade Simple Syrup or pick some up at your local store. Then just add a dollop of honey for some extra body and flavor.
Lime juice – The lime juice adds a nice, bright tartness to this cocktail.
Lime wedge: Garnish with a lime wedge for the finishing touch.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Into a cocktail shaker, place several large ice cubes, along with the rum, honey simple syrup, and lime juice.
Shake well.
Strain into a high ball glass (or champagne flute).
Add a couple of ice cubes and top up with champagne.
Garnish with a lime wedge and serve!
❓ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! While the Airmail cocktail traditionally calls for champagne, you can also use any sparkling wine that you love.
You’ll want to use a white rum for this cocktail rather than a dark one in order to best complement the other flavors.
Yes! You can mix up a pitcher of these cocktails a few hours before your party and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until your guests arrive. Just be sure to give the mixture a good stir before serving.
🍽 What to serve with airmail cocktails?
The Airmail cocktail is great to serve along with appetizers at a party. Try it with some tasty, cheesy Gougere Bites or decadent Crab Puffs with Mushrooms. This drink would also pair well with Meatballs and Romesco Sauce.
🫙Kitchen tools and equipment
You just need a couple of tools to serve up the perfect Airmail cocktail.
Cocktail shaker – A solid cocktail shaker is a must here. You’ll be mixing all the ingredients together with several large ice cubes in order to get your drink ice cold.
Tall glasses – This grand, sparkling cocktail deserves a big glass. We recommend serving it in either a highball glass or champagne flute.
More cocktail recipes
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Airmail Cocktail
Ingredients
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 1.5 oz white rum
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- 2 oz Champagne, or other sparkling wine
- 1 lime wedge
Instructions
- Into a cocktail shaker, add several large ice cubes, along with the rum, honey simple syrup, and lime juice. Shake well.
- Strain into a high ball glass. Add ice and top up with champagne.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
