Daiquiri
Ingredients
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- 2 tbsp granulated sugar – for simple syrup
- 2 tbsp water – for simple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups ice cubes – for shaking and chilling glass
- 2 ounces white rum
- 1 ounces lime juice – freshly squeezed (~0.5 medium limes)
Instructions
1. Make a quick 1:1 syrup: Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until fully dissolved and clear, 1–2 minutes; let cool until just warm, about 5 minutes.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with the ice cubes (about 1.5 cups) and place a few cubes in a coupe or cocktail glass to chill, 2 minutes.
3. Add the white rum, lime juice, and 0.75 ounce of the cooled syrup from Step 1 to the shaker; shake vigorously until the shaker is frosty, 10–12 seconds.
4. Discard the ice from the glass, then fine-strain the cocktail into the chilled glass until the stream runs clear and free of ice shards; serve immediately.
A Daiquiri is a bright, clean rum sour that balances the grassy sweetness of white rum with the vivid tartness of fresh lime and a touch of sugar. Served up and crystal clear, it’s crisp, light-bodied, and refreshing, with a silky texture from proper shaking. When dialed in, the result is a razor-balanced cocktail that showcases rum’s character rather than masking it.
Originating in Cuba, the drink is named after the Daiquirí iron mine near Santiago de Cuba and is commonly linked to an American engineer, Jennings Cox, in the early 1900s. It spread through Havana’s cocktail culture—especially at El Floridita under bartender Constantino Ribalaigua—where multiple riffs were created. The Daiquiri became a global classic through Prohibition-era tourism and mid-century cocktail books, later inspiring variations like the Hemingway Daiquiri, but the core three-ingredient sour remains the standard-bearer.