Puerto Rico.  Nicknamed "La Isla del Encanto" ("the island of enchantment" in Spanish), this American island is home to generous people, stunning beaches, and the iconic Pina Colada.  Earlier this year Ms. Cocktail Den and I went to San Juan and attended the Tales on Tour cocktail conference; read about it in Tales of La Isla del Encanto, Part One.

El Batey is a really good dive bar in Old San Juan.

You can't attend a cocktail conference without going to bars. When we went to the Tales on Tour conference in Edinburgh in 2018 we went to bars such as Panda & Sons and Kin. This journey to San Juan was no exception. I noticed a theme during the conference -- all roads lead to La Factoria in old San Juan.  If you ever saw the video for the song Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (the song was everywhere in 2017), the bar scenes were filmed in La Factoria. To describe this award winning establishment as a bar is a bit misleading. La Factoria actually is a group of interconnected themed bars in a multi-level structure. Most of the individual bar spaces are not large, but you can cover a lot of cocktail real estate going through them all. I'm embarrassed to admit neither Ms. Cocktail Den nor I got a good photo of the bars inside La Factoria because we were taking drink photos and meeting people. During the conference we went there a handful of times, and we liked it so much we went there after the conference ended. The bartenders are friendly, humble, and create great drinks (gracias Celso M. among others). And the drinks .... let me put it to you this way.  My mouth still waters when I think of the Pina Coladas I had there. How do you say "Pavlovian response" in Spanish?

You don't have to look glamorous to have a drink at the glamorous Chandelier Bar.

Depending on your mood and preferences, San Juan has a bar for you. Looking for a really good dive bar (by really good I mean fun, completely unpretentious, and not disgusting)? El Batey is the place.  You know it's really good if a lot of local industry people go there. Looking for a place with gorgeous decor where you can sit at the bar wearing an aloha shirt and bathing suit (as I did)? Check out the Chandelier Bar at the El San Juan Hotel. Want a little bit of tropical serenity and class in Old San Juan? Try the Cannon Club. If you're in the dynamic La Placita area (although the word "dynamic" is sort of an understatement), go to Jungle Bird, which has no relation to the tasty tiki cocktail of the same name. If you're wandering around in Old San Juan, and you really should, stop in and have a round or two at Aqui se Puede and La Republica.  Old San Juan is compact enough that the bars are all within staggering distance of each other. Literally. Or so I've heard. If you end up cocktailing a little less than responsibly, fortunately you can pray to Santa Uber.

To paraphrase a line from Come Fly With Me, a great Frank Sinatra song -- if you could use some exotic (or not so exotic) booze, there's a bar or two in not so far San Juan.

Chocolate, coffee, and whiskey. Most people like at least two of these things. The 43 Up puts all of these flavors together. This original creation is adapted from Bittered Sling's repost of the 5:00 P.M. Wake Up Call by Cheers to Happy Hour.

2 ounces whiskey (see below)
1 ounce Licor 43
2 dashes chocolate bitters (hello Bittered Sling)
2 dashes coffee bitters (hello again Bittered Sling)

Combine in a mixing glass or shaker with ice, stir with a jolt of excitement, and strain into a chilled glass. Lightly burned star anise float optional.

Licor 43 is a Spanish liqueur whose slight sweetness belies its strength. Its color is reminiscent of other liqueurs such as yellow Chartreuse (used in the Naked and Famous) and Benedictine DOM (used in the Good Cork). The name derives from the minimum number of ingredients in it. To me Licor 43 has a distinct vanilla flavor, so it complements the chocolate and coffee bitters quite nicely.  I'm a big fan of the Malagasy Chocolate and Arabica Coffee bitters from Bittered Sling. Other companies make good chocolate and coffee bitters, but they're not as exquisite and on point as the ones from Bittered Sling.

The whiskey is where things get fun and interesting with the 43 Up. I experimented using three different types of whiskey -- bourbon, rye, and wheat. Not surprisingly, the bourbon and wheat based versions of the 43 Up are a little sweeter than the rye based version. All of them work well, so which whiskey you use is a matter of your personal preference ... and whatever is in your liquor cabinet.

If you want to feel better, here's a two step solution -- 1. Get up. 2. Make yourself a 43 Up. Your mood only will go one way .... do I really need to say it?