Happy Hour: Daquiri

What do you think of when you hear the word daquiri?  Is it a sweet, pink, fruity, frozen drink in a bulbous hurricane glass? Or maybe in a plastic cup at an all-inclusive resort or in New Orleans?  A lot of folks think a frozen strawberry daquiri is the definition of a daquiri, but what if I told you a classic daquiri is actually a sweet and sour cocktail made with just rum, lime and simple syrup?  It’s not even frozen!

Daquiris are one of the original basic cocktails.  It originated in Cuba. It is so simple, but the ingredients work perfectly together. If you think you don’t like rum, try this recipe. The lime balances out any harshness in the rum so the cocktail just tastes refreshing.

All you need for this simple cocktail is rum, limes and simple syrup. Simple syrup is very easy to make by mixing equal parts sugar and hot water and stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Store any leftover syrup in the fridge for a week – it can go moldy if you keep it any longer.

Classic Daquiri

Ingredients:

2 oz white/light rum

1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice

½ oz simple syrup

Instructions:

Fill a shaker with ice and add the ingredients. Shake until chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

*Bonus recipe: The Hemingway Daquiri

Daquiris and Cuba are synonymous with Earnest Hemingway. The Hemingway Daquiri was invented in Cuba to honour Hemingway, who was reputed to prefer a drink with less sugar and more alcohol content. This is a very different cocktail than the classic daquiri, despite very small differences in ingredients.  A tiny bit of grapefruit juice and Maraschino liqueur replace the simple syrup, making a much more complex cocktail with a tinge of pink. (Marshino liqueur is not very sweet, it actually tastes of bitter almonds, but adds a brightness and complexity to the drink.)

Hemingway Daquiri

Ingredients:

1½ oz white rum

¾ oz fresh-squeezed lime juice

¼ oz fresh grapefruit juice

¼ oz maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)

Instructions:

Fill a shaker with ice and add the ingredients. Shake until chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Cheers! Enjoy!