The origins of the daiquiri cocktail are murky but the cocktail itself is not murky at all. It's a refreshing, tart cocktail perfect for a hot summer day. It is claimed the daiquiri was invented in Cuba during the Spanish-American War by an iron tycoon who was short on rations when entertaining. He made the best out of the meager ingredients on hand; lime, sugar and rum.
And so began one of the most perfect trios in cocktail history. This simple cocktail is a great place to start if you're just learning mixology. Buying fresh limes, organic cane sugar and a reasonably priced quality rum will give you outstanding results.
When squeezing your own limes, strain them after squeezing through a fine mesh strainer. This will give you a clear, unclouded beautiful cocktail.
Your rum choice should be a silver rum. A couple great choices available here in America are; Myer's Platinum White Rum and Koloa Kaua'i White. Both are reasonable priced with a great clean flavor. Don't bother buying flavored rums, almost all have artificial flavoring. Once you've mastered the basic daiquiri recipe, its very easy to create variations with different types of fresh fruit.
Traditionally, the daiquiri is served in a coupe glass and it's a very small cocktail at approximately four ounces. There are times when you want something larger. You can double or triple your recipe or you can make a pitcher of frozen daiquiris. These are great for when your entertaining and serving a crowd. I've included recipes for both.
It's very important to measure all your ingredients exactly. A little too much lime and your drink will lose it's tartness. This includes measuring your ice. If you don't measure the ice, you'll never have a consistent cocktail. Adding too much ice waters down the flavors of the daiquiri.
Both recipes call for simple syrup. It really is very simple to make this at home. Simply combine one cup of water with one cup of organic cane sugar into a pot. Set to medium heat, stir frequently until you bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and cool uncovered. Once cooled transfer to a glass bottle or jar. Refrigerate. Will keep up to two weeks.
Daiquiri Traditional Style
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1 1/2 oz. white rum
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker then add ice. Shake well and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a floating lime wheel.
Daiquiri Frozen Style (serves 2-4)
2 oz. lime juice
3 oz. simple syrup
6 oz. white rum
32 oz. ice
Add all ingredients into a blender. Set blender to smoothie or ice crush setting. Blend well for about 20-30 seconds. Pour into a mug or glass with a handle. (Why? So your hand won't get too cold holding your drink and your drink won't melt too quickly!)
So head to your home bar or kitchen and let's make a daiquiri!
Check out more recipes on my website http://everydayexoticcocktails.com
