It’s National Daiquiri Day!!!!

Last week I posted about the BEST banana daiquiris I’ve had. They claim to be world famous, and while I’m not 100% sure if they are the best in the world, they are for sure the best I’ve had. They are made with only three ingredients [as far as I can tell from the MANY times I have spent watching Alex make them on Mountain Top in St. Thomas]: Bananas, Rum and Ice. That’s it. Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest…

Little did I realize when I made that post last week that National Daiquiri Day was right around the corner!! So here I am, posting a bit more about daiquiris…

I think of the daiquiri as a summer drink…a perfect way to use up leftover fruits. And rum – to me – is the perfect summer spirit. Reminds me of island living, turquoise blue oceans and white sand. Tell me, what is better than sitting by the beach with a fruity rum umbrella drink watching the sun sink into the water?

Sigh…

Jenning Cox, an American living in Cuba at the time, is often credited as the man who created the daiquiri sometime in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. His recipe used lemons, sugar, mineral water and ice. The name ‘daiquiri’ came from the nearby mining town of the same name.

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Jenning Cox’s handwritten recipe for a Daiquiri

The daiquiri was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite drinks [though to be fair, it seems he had a lot of favorites]. He used to go into the El Floridita bar during his time in Cuba to drink them.

“I drink to make other people more interesting.”
~Ernest Hemingway

Today’s daiquiris don’t often resemble those original specimens. They get blended with ice into more ‘slushee-esque’ versions, usually with fruit such as bananas or strawberries added. If you look online you will find several variations of the ‘classic’ daiquiri. The proportions tend to be:


CLASSIC DAIQUIRI

  • 1.5 -2 parts rum to
  • 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
  • .5 parts simple syrup

Shake over ice, then strain into a glass. You can experiment to find the proportion which works best for your taste buds, but that is a good starting point.


FRUIT DAIQUIRI:

To make a fruit daiquiri it is best to use a blender.

*I keep the same proportions for the rum and juice as is in the Classic version, and I only add sugar once I’ve tasted at the end because oftentimes the fruit adds enough sweetness. For the fruit, use about 1/2 to 1 cup of the fruit of your choice.

Add the rum and lime juice first, then whatever fruit you like, be it bananas, strawberries, peaches or some other favorite. Add ice, cover and blend. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! Alex at Mountain Top always adds a float of dark rum, a cherry and an orange slice…


VIRGIN DAIQUIRI

And finally, a non alcoholic version: My favorite way to make this is to simply leave out the rum. I don’t add in extra ingredients to make it fancy. I use fruit, lime juice, sugar (if needed) and ice. Then I blend it to the consistency I prefer.


 

Please share with your friends, thank you!

5 thoughts on “It’s National Daiquiri Day!!!!

  1. So I just realized I’ve been making daiquiri’s (Virgin) and didn’t even know it! I don’t drink alcoholic beverages but love a mixed fruit drink!

    1. Love it! There are other recipes out there that add ingredients such as lemon-lime soda or even vanilla (I totally don’t get that one!), but I like to keep things as ‘clean’ and simple as possible. Hope you had a chance to enjoy one yesterday!! 🙂

  2. Cindy, woohoo! You’re talking to my foodie/drinkie side! I love Daquiris, and I appreciate your simple, clean recipes. I had no idea that today (it’s only 9 pm in Phoenix) is National Daquiri Day! I must let my husband know that we have been remiss in honoring this important day, and we can get on with celebrating it! Thanks for another great post!

    1. Ha Ha!! I hope you were able to honor the day!! I ended up having a super busy day, so I’m going to make one tonight to celebrate!!

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