On Halloween I have a tradition of drinking port which I got from a good friend. It’s one of those ideas that really doesn’t need much of an excuse. I love port! This exceptional cocktail features port and a bunch of other good stuff too. It’s a bit surprising for a fall weather cocktail, because it includes pineapple juice, which makes it distinctly tropical. But it’s still a Halloween cocktail. It’s just wearing a costume.

The drink was created by Rome’s Matteo Zed, the “Amaro Evangelist” and author of The Big Book of Amaro, when he ran the bar program for Armani / Ristorante 5th Avenue in New York. He recalls, “That cocktail was born because I like to make Tiki drinks in a classic way, and also to give more colors to the bar program of Armani, that was so old and basic. Italicus had just arrived in the US so I imagined a drink citrusy and fruity, exotic with sweet and sour ingredients.”

The drink is named Calypso, after French ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau’s ship, but I’m leaning in toward the origins of the name. In ancient Greek, Calypso means “to cover”, “to conceal”, “to hide”. Calypso (“she who conceals”) was a sea nymph who lured Odysseus away from his endless journey home. Perhaps she is the hidden spirit, hiding concealed inside a beautiful covered box which hides a secret? Who knows, but there’s no hiding how tasty this rum and port cocktail is, sweetened as it is with a touch of bergamot orange and rose liqueur. It’s most definitely a treat. Cheers!

Calypso by Matteo Zed

1 ½ oz Barbados Rum (eg Mount Gay Eclipse)

¾ oz Tawny Port

¾ oz pineapple

¾ oz lime

½ oz Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto

½ oz simple syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Garnish with a sage leaf or lime peel ghost.