Kara Newman is a cocktails and spirits writer based in New York. In addition to her writing for Food & Wine, she is the spirits reviewer for Wine Enthusiast and has appeared in publications such as ...

“You must learn the rules like a pro,” Pablo Picasso is reported to have said, “so you can break them like an artist.” That Picasso almost certainly never said this is immaterial; the line endures.

So when you hear that the “Hotel Nacional Special… is one of the three finest Bacardi drinks known to science,” you might take such a thing with guarded optimism. Though when you hear the source is no ...