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Cheers to fun made-up drink holidays! It’s time once again to raise your glasses to National Daiquiri Day, which is celebrated every year on July 19. It falls on a Saturday this year, so it’s great timing to start the celebration early today and toast to the occasion all weekend.
This refreshing drink was created in the early 1900s in the small mining town of Daiquiri near Santiago, Cuba. It’s similar to a Margarita, but the difference is the core spirit is rum in a Daiquiri as opposed to tequila in a Margarita, which also includes a little orange liqueur.
The classic Daiquiri is a trinity of 2 ounces white rum, 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, and ¾ ounce simple sugar syrup with a 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 coupe or Martini glass and garnish with a lime twist.)
To make a Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri: Combine the 2 ounces white rum, ¾ ounce simple syrup, 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, plus 5 strawberries and 1 cup ice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane, Margarita, or wine glass and garnish with a strawberry slice, if desired.
In addition to raising a glass to the occasion at happy hour, Daiquiris would also pair nicely at a cookout, especially with chicken, pork, brats, and fish. Cheers!
Hemingway Special Daiquiri
Makes 1 or 2
This strong variation on the classic Daiquiri is also known as the Papa Doble Daiquiri in honor of famed writer Ernest Hemingway, who frequented the bars in Cuba, and was also known as “Papa” there. It was created by Constantino (Constante) Ribalaigua Vert, the legendary lead bartender at La Floridita, in Havana, Cuba, according to Simon Difford in “Cocktails, The Bartender’s Bible.” The story goes that after Heminway tried the bar’s frozen Daiquiri, he said it was good, but he would like it with double the rum and without sugar (as he had diabetes). Years later, when Antonio Melian was La Floridita’s lead bartender, he added grapefruit juice and maraschino to the recipe and now sugar is also commonly added.
3½ ounces white rum
1 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
¾ ounce maraschino liqueur
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Lime wedge or maraschino cherry, for garnish
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass (or glasses). Garnish with lime wedge or cherry.
