"When we think of Cuban rum and drinks, we always associate it with the Daiquiri - the perfect balance of rum, lime and sugar.
The tropical notes with a touch of cacao and spice in Ron Santiago de Cuba Añejo 8 Years Old are perfect for this cocktail. If you want to elevate the cacao and coffee notes in the rum, you can drop a little bit of dark cacao liqueur and turn it into a Mulata Daiquiri!"
- Georgi Radev, Drinks Distilled Spirits Guide
What you need
- Ron Santiago de Cuba Añejo 8 Years Old
- Lime juice
- Sugar syrup
- Cocktail shaker and strainer
- Coupe glass
- Garnish: Lime wedge or wheel
Method
- Put your Coupe glass in the fridge to chill (for between 30-60 minutes).
- Add 50ml rum, 20ml lime juice and 15ml sugar syrup to a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice cubes and shake hard.
- Strain into a Coupe glass without ice.
- Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel.
Daiquiri History
The first record of a Daiquiri-like drink was in the form of a grog that British sailors drank aboard ships from the 1780s. A combination of lime juice, sugar, rum and water was used as a means of preventing scurvy during their voyages to the Caribbean.
Skipping forward to 1896, the first documentation of the Daiquiri was by American engineer, Jennings Cox. With only a ration of rum, lime and sugar to hand - he created the first version of the recipe when he was stationed in the small harbour town of Daiquiri, near Santiago de Cuba. This was later refined by bartenders in Santiago and Havana.
However, given that there's an abundance of lime, sugar and rum in Cuba, it's likely Cox was just the first to actually write the recipe down...
U.S. Naval medical officer Admiral Lucius Johnson then introduced the drink to the Army & Navy Club in Washington DC, following the Spanish-American war, and word began to spread beyond Cuba.
With the onset of Prohibition in the 20s the cocktail still continued to gain traction, with Havana becoming a favourite destination for rich Americans, looking to escape the restrictions.
During the 20s and 30s, Constantino "Constante" Ribalaigua Vert, owner of La Florida bar in Havana continued to refine the recipe and experimented further by using an electric blender and the additional ingredients of Maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice, to create the first frozen Daiquiri.
