Rum Journal: The Signature Cocktail at a San Juan’s Jose Enrique
By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
SAN JUAN — It doesn’t look like a restaurant.
And there’s no sign marking the pink house in Santurce that Puerto Rican chef Jose Enrique has converted into his much-loved eponymous eatery.
But all the taxi drivers in San Juan know the way. And once you get there, the animated crowd of well-dressed Sanjuaneros spilling out onto the front porch is a sure sign that you’ve reached the right place.
Jose Enrique doesn’t accept reservations so you’ll likely be in for a lengthy wait.
But don’t be discouraged.
Because the delay presents a golden opportunity to sample the restaurant’s signature cocktail.
Made with rum, coconut water and passion fruit and pineapple juices, the Naturola is a potent-yet-refreshing $9 cocktail for which we’d happily pay twice that amount. And, with the first sip, transforms the pain of waiting for a table into a distinctly Puerto Rican pleasure.
