A medicine Turned cocktail

Daiquiri is a mining town on the southeastern tip of Cuba. The classic daiquiri that requires nothing more than three common ingredients – rum, lime juice and sugar shaken with cracked ice and strained – takes its name from the place it was invented. Legend has it that daiquiri was created during the time of the Spanish-American War in 1898, by American mining engineer Jennings Cox. However, there are many stories as to why the drink was created. One says that it was made to protect the workers of the mines from yellow fever.

A 1935 letter from Robert Huntington Lyman Jr. who worked in the mine, to New York based Sun’s column Along the Wine Trail explains on the birth of the drink. In the letter, he details that during the war when the supplies were limited, the only alcohol available apart from the occasional Scotch that came via cargo was Bacardi rum. The staff, including Cox, tried out various mixtures with Bacardi as the base and finally discovered that Bacardi with a little sugar, half a lime and a generous amount of cracked ice made a delicious cocktail. It is also believed that Cox’s recipe involved adding soda before shaking and pouring the whole mix unstrained into a glass.

Most of the modern day daiquiris are made with simple syrup (sugar syrup) and a lot of lime juice with less quantity of rum. But the original Cuban recipe used less sugar and lime and thus, proportionately, more rum, and it began with the simple step of stirring  sugar into lime juice. It makes for a brighter, leaner drink, but takes a little additional time to be ready. A thorough history of the drink has been written by Wayne Curtis in his book, And a Bottle of Rum.

The daiquiri has developed over the years — much like the martini and margarita — into a sort of sub-family of drinks. As it is a transparent cocktail, quality ingredients really do matter. The best daiquiris are made with premium rum and fresh lime juice. There are many variations that take on a variety of flavours and it’s often blended as well. And yet, they’re all inspired by the basic recipe— an essential rum cocktail everyone should know and taste.

Classic Daiquiri

A well-made classic daiquiri offers a perfect balance of sweet and sour in your glass. This can be adjusted to your personal taste and once you find your ideal mix, you will understand that those bottles filled with sugary liquids and labeled daiquiris have no place in the bar.

Ingredients

White Rum          60ml
Lemon Juice        30ml
Simple Syrup       30ml
Ice cubes
                  
method    

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
Shake well and strain  into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel.

Strawberry Daiquiri

One of the most popular frozen daiquiris, the delicious strawberry daiquiri is the best example of perfect use of the sweet berries and will quickly become everyone’s favorite. It is also a great shaken cocktail if you're not in the mood to use the blender. However, this cocktail should only be attempted with fruit that’s really ripe and sweet — if the berries are the big, bland variety from the chiller cabinet, the end result will just taste of mush.

Ingredients
White rum    60ml
Lemon juice     30ml
Simple syrup   30ml
Strawberry   a          handful
Ice cubes

method

Muddle the strawberries  in simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
Add all the remaining ingredients.
Shake well and strain  into a chilled cocktail glass.

Recipe for simple syrup
Simple syrup, the most budget-friendly drink sweetener one can make at home, costs just pennies per batch. Also called sugar syrup, the sweetener is primarily used as a substitute for granulated sugar. Since the sugar is already dissolved in the syrup, it’s much easier to add to cold beverages. Combine equal parts of water and sugar in a pan. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and small bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or it thickens once it cools. You can also customise it with various sugars and sugar substitutes, or infuse it with flavour. To prolong the shelf life, of the syrup, just add a little vodka to it.

If you want to make the most of fresh summer peaches then blend them and prepare a refreshing daiquiri. The fruit has skin rejuvenating properties, and helps retain the moisture in the skin during summer season. Therefore it is a perfect summer drink. Peach diaquiris, go well with monsoons too if you use chilled peaches and reduce the number  of ice cubes. But ensure that you use unpeeled canned peaches and peel it just before you plan to make the drink. For peeling, simply place the whole peaches in a pot of boiling water for 15-20 seconds. Remove, let cool slightly; the skin will slip right off.

Frozen Watermelon Daiquiri

Ingredients

Frozen seedless watermelon chunks 1-2 cups
White rum                  60ml
Lemon juice               30ml
Simple syrup             30ml
Ice cubes (Optional)

method    
Mix watermelon chunks, white rum, lemon juice and simple syrup in a blender and blend untill smooth.
Using a lemon wedge moisten the rim of the chilled glass and dip the rim into the sugar salt mix. (Optional)
Pour the mix into the prepared glass.
Garnish with a lime wedge or a lime wheel.

How strong is Daiquiri?

With an 80-proof rum, the average daiquiri has 20 per cent alcohol by volume and therefore is not a light drink. One too many can easily sneak up on you. Originally, the daiquiri is designed to be a short and neat drink and therefore the final volume is only three ounces.

Peach Daiquiri

Ingredients

Peach slices           1 cup
White rum              60ml
Lemon juice           30ml
Simple syrup          30ml
Ice cubes

method    

Mix peach slices ,white rum, lemon juice, ice cubes and simple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.
Using a lemon wedge moisten the rim of a chilled glass and dip the rim into the sugar salt mix. (Optional)
Pour the mix into the prepared glass.
Garnish with a peach wedge.

Coconut Daiquiri

Ingredients

Coconut milk/cream 120ml
White rum/coconut rum (Malibu) 60ml                                                                        
Lemon juice                           30ml
Simple syrup 30ml
Ice cubes

method    

Add ice cubes, lime juice, coconut milk, white rum and simple syrup in a blender. Blend untill smooth.
Pour the mix into a chilled glass and garnish with lime wheel.