I think we all remember having a virgin cocktail before college, after which point shots of straight death become the norm. Mine was with a strawberry daiquiri—a tall, pink, soda-filled glass that gave me sugary chills. But, what is a daiquiri actually? We’re here to tell you all about this sweet, classic cocktail. Get ready for some boozy brunch, loves.
A History Lesson from Cuba
Okay, okay, I get it—history may not be the most interesting thing, but when there’s alcohol involved it’s freakin’ lit. Way back when, the British Royal Navy provided its sailors with beer to boost morale. However, beer was harder to ship to the Caribbean, and thus rum became the preferred beverage of choice because there’s a helluva lot of it. Henceforth, in the 1730s, the rum ration came into swing.
While rum was all the rage, the sailors were having a hard time fighting a war at a level nine drunk, and so they had to find a way to sober those bad boys up. This bright fellow named Admiral Edward Vernon, was like, “hey maybe if we water it down a touch, our sailors will actually do their jobs.” And so he combined the rum with water and limes. Innovation skills were fire back then. I mean, what is a daiquiri if not the solution to not have drunken sailors crash your ships?
Fast forward a bit to the Spanish-American War. Spain is able to fight off Britain enough to hold down Cuba, but then the US comes in and battles it out on a little beach called—you guessed it—Daiquiri. We end up being able to chill in there for a bit and profit off the mining business, blah-blah-blah.
This one dude named Jennings Cox owned one of the iron mines. One night, he ran out of gin and buys some rum for his guests instead. He’s recommended Admiral Vernon’s cocktail and it’s a hit—so much so that he’s like, “I gotta name this stuff.” And so, after that momentous battle on that little beach, he names the drink a daiquiri. The more ya know.
How to Make a Daiquiri
The people back in the navy were all about drinks that did the job without the effort, so a daiquiri really isn’t all too hard to pull off. Simply shake up 1 part lime juice, 2 parts rum, and a little bit of sugar, and BOOM! you have the original daiquiri, transported through time to help you make bad decisions.
Curious what a daiquiri tastes like? In reality, a daiquiri still tastes pretty much like watered-down rum with a slight hint of lime/lemon and some sugar. If you’re using quality rum like Bacardí Superior, it’ll likely taste good. Otherwise, just do yourself a favor and take a shot.
Now, I know you likely imagine fruity drinks in fancy glasses when you think of daiquiris and are hella confused right now, so let me elaborate: liquor always changes over time as people mess around with it. Thus, the daiquiri has experienced some changes over the years—enter the strawberry daiquiri.
Flavored daiquiris are made by adding a touch of syrup to give a burst of flavor. In theory, any fruity syrup will do, but the most common one is, of course, strawberry. Throw it together with some ice in a blender and you have a chill, frozen, boozy beverage. Now that you know what a daiquiri is, go out there and have a fabulous spring break.