Making All the Daiquiris
One, two, three, four, five...
When I need to look up a cocktail recipe, the first place I go is Adrienne Stillman’s Spirited (Phaidon Press, 2020). It’s comprehensive, well-organized, and filled with beautiful full-page imagery. It also has five daiquiri recipes, and thirty daiquiri-adjacent riffs and variations.
I like a good daiquiri, and I also like a good numbering system, so I’ve always been drawn to the notion that there are canonical, numbered daiquiris — invented by Constante Ribalaigua Vert of the La Floridita bar in Havana — which Spirited enumerates:
Daiquiri - The traditional recipe.
Daiquiri #2 - A variation with orange and cointreau.
Daiquiri #3 (Hemingway Daiquiri) - A variation that adds grapefruit juice and maraschino.
Daiquiri #4 (Floridita Daiquiri) - The house La Floridita daiquiri, mostly traditional but with a small amount of maraschino added.
Daiquiri #5 (Pink Daiquiri) - A variation incorporating maraschino and a bit of grenadine.
The great thing about this list (other than the fun numbers) is that it’s impossible to pick a favorite. All of them are delicious in different ways. The best way to approach it is simply to make them all.
Daiquiri
The one, the only, the daiquiri. It’s hard to argue with the simple genius of this classic. Refreshing and well-balanced, it’s a vehicle for showcasing great white rum, like my preferred staple: Hamilton White ‘Stache.
A lot of recipes recommend double straining daiquiris to remove the ice shards, but I prefer to single-strain them. I think the shards provide a pleasant texture and a chilling snappiness that’s reminiscent of the best qualities of a frozen cocktail.
Daiquiri
2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)
1 oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.
☞ Traditional recipe
Daiquiri #2
There’s less pure refreshment here, but that seems to be the intent. The Cointreau and reduction in general sweetness brings a bitter, refined savoriness to this variation.
Daiquiri #2
2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
½ barspoon (0.08 oz) fresh orange juice
½ barspoon (0.08 oz) Cointreau
Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita
Daiquiri #3 (Hemingway Daiquiri)
As the name indicates, this variation was apparently preferred by Ernest Hemingway, and it is abundantly clear why: the drink is damn good. It’s extremely refreshing — so much so you could easily knock back three or four of these in an afternoon, as I suspect Hemingway may have done. It’s also very well-balanced, with the grapefruit and maraschino liqueur adding a tremendous amount of depth and complexity.
Daiquiri #3 (Hemingway Daiquiri)
1½ oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
½ oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz maraschino liqueur
¼ oz simple syrup
Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita
Daiquiri #4 (Floridita Daiquiri)
This is what I would call a good middle-ground daiquiri, and not in a negative way. The maraschino liqueur adds a hint of deeper complexity, but the drink otherwise adheres very closely to the classic formula. You’ve got to admire the simplicity and elegance here.
Daiquiri #4 (Floridita Daiquiri)
2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
½ barspoon (0.08 oz) maraschino liqueur
Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita
Daiquiri #5 (Pink Daiquiri)
When you hear the words “pink daiquiri” your mind probably doesn’t jump to an image of a beautifully balanced classic cocktail. You may be imagining something overwhelmed by a healthy dose of sickly sweet artificial grenadine syrup.
As it turns out, if you use a high-quality (real) grenadine syrup and keep the amount within reason, it can make a damn good cocktail. This variation is delicious — refreshing and fruity, with just a hint of bitterness.
Daiquiri #5 (Pink Daiquiri)
2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)
¾ oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz grenadine
¼ oz simple syrup
½ barspoon (0.08 oz) maraschino liqueur
Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita
Phew! We made all five daiquiris. It’s time to sign off from the daq’ lab…
