Photo: Adobe/Evgeni Starkov
National Daiquiri Day, which is celebrated every year on July 19, falls on a Friday this year, so it’s perfect timing to raise a glass to the occasion—and carry the festivities into the weekend and beyond with these delicious cold concoctions.
I remember my mom on occasion would mix up a batch of Daiquiris and freeze them in a repurposed plastic ice cream container. They would then be ready to scrape out when happy hour came along after a hot summer day. That certainly sounds like a good idea! (Note to self.) I didn’t know what went into them at the time, only that they were a grown-up drink, and while their cold, slushy freshness looked delicious, they were off limits, of course. But now I know the classic Daiquiri is a trinity of white rum, some freshly squeezed lime juice, and a little sugar syrup. You can perhaps add a splash of water to taste if you like, and then a lime slice for a garnish when serving. It’s similar to a Margarita, but the difference is in the core spirit of rum in a Daiquiri as opposed to tequila in a Margarita, which also includes a little orange liqueur.
This refreshing drink was created in the early 1900s in the small mining town of Daiquiri near Santiago, Cuba. An engineer named Jennings Stockton Cox came up with this concoction in an effort to cool down and boost the morale of mine workers during the hot months. The drink became a popular staple in Havana and then a popular tipple for famed writer Ernest Hemingway, who spent quite some time in the country—and a good deal in its local watering holes. There is a version named in his honor that includes some grapefruit juice and another named after the bar he frequented, the Floridita, which also had a frozen version he enjoyed as a double, which was named the “Papa Dobles.”
Since then, this popular drink has inspired many variations, mixing in different fruit, splashes of juices, and some served on the rocks and others frozen. You could also make a note to self and mix up a batch to freeze for ready-made Daiquiris to keep the holiday celebration going throughout the summer. Cheers!
Daiquiri
Makes 1
2 ounces white rum
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
¾ ounce simple sugar syrup
Lime twist or slice, for garnish
Add the rum, lime juice, and sugar syrup to a shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled. Strain into a (sugar-rimmed, if desired) coupe or Martini glass, and garnish with a lime twist.
Strawberry Frozen Daiquiri
Makes 1
1½ to 2 ounces white rum
¾ to 1 ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
5 large strawberries
1 cup ice
Strawberry slice, for garnish (optional)
Combine the rum, simple syrup, lime juice, strawberries, and ice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane, Margarita, or wine glass and garnish with a strawberry slice, if desired.
Florida Daiquiri
Makes 1
2 ounces white rum
½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ ounce simple sugar syrup
½ ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Splash Maraschino liqueur
Splash cold water
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass.
