Ingredients
- 1¾ ounces light rum
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime wheel.
Variations and Substitutions
The classic daiquiri, a tasty lime cocktail, can be easily changed up to accommodate the pickiest of palettes, or account for missing ingredients.
- Experiment with the proportions of the cocktail: add a little extra lime juice for a tarter flavor, more simple syrup for a sweeter taste, and a splash more of rum for a boozier punch. Only try one at a time so as not to overwhelm the other cocktail flavors.
- Opt for lime cordial instead of lime juice for a lime-forward taste and a slightly sweeter cocktail.
- Swap light rum for aged rum to alter the flavor subtly without changing the cocktail entirely.
- Including a splash, a quarter-ounce or less, of freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice adds another layer of citrus without altering the daiquiri too much.
- Try fruit flavors like peach daiquiris as variations on the classic.
Garnishes
The lime wheel might be the traditional daiquiri garnish, but there are other choices to make whether or not you want something more playful or traditional.
- Use a lime wedge or slice instead of a wheel. If you use a lime wedge, you can squeeze the citrus for extra lime notes. You can discard the wedge in the drink or be rid of it entirely.
- Try an orange or lemon, you can do this with a wheel, lime, or wedge to add a flash of color and an extra dash of citrus.
- A lime peel or ribbon makes for a playful garnish.
- Dehydrated citrus wheels, be it lime, lemon, or orange, are a modern garnish that adds a subtle flair.
- A small sprinkle of lime zest adds a unique and unusual visual garnish.
About the Classic Daiquiri
The classic daiquiri has been shaken up for over a century. It first appeared in glasses in the very early 1900s, in both Cuba and New York. Initially served in a highball glass with crushed or cracked ice, the recipe was nothing more than sugar, two freshly squeezed limes, and three ounces of rum. The daiquiri was ready to sip with a quick stir to frost the glass, similar to the mint julep today.
As the years passed, shaved ice replaced the cracked ice with a cocktail shaker, replacing the highball glass for mixing. The resulting cocktail was served in a martini or coupe glass, giving us the classic daiquiri appearance you're probably familiar with. Once simple syrup began to rise in accessibility and popularity, it replaced the granulated sugar found in the original recipe.
The modern classic daiquiri peaked in popularity in the 1940s as rations made whiskey and vodka challenging to obtain. At the same time, the accessibility of rum skyrocketed thanks to open trade between the United States and Latin America. The sudden fashionability of these cultures boosted the allure of rum drinks, shoving the daiquiri into the spotlight. The classic daiquiri would waver in popularity until the modern cocktail renaissance when several classic drinks became fashionable once again.
The Art of the Daiquiri
The classic daiquiri is a cocktail for all ages. It's a much-misunderstood cocktail, with people associating it with cloying and over-the-top flavors. Whether you enjoy a simple cocktail or want a crisp yet tart taste with a tropical twist, the classic daiquiri is well-deserving of its place near the top of the cocktail line-up.
