If you missed last week's column (shame on you), we kicked off a new series dubbed Historic Sauce, which takes us on a tour of five historic cocktails that everyone should know over the next few weeks. The second installment of this multi-drink series spotlights rum, a perfect fit for summertime in Florida, and a beloved cocktail that's been tinkered with for so long that some folks don't realize what came before its frozen incarnation.
Yup, I'm talking about the daiquiri.
Don't get me wrong — there are a few things better than an icy strawberry daiquiri on a hot day, but the original is on a whole 'nother level. Far from frozen, the OG daiquiri has just three ingredients (white rum, simple syrup and lime juice) and doesn't require a blender, or a handful of fruit to mask mediocre rum. We're busting out the good stuff, friends, because it's a must.
As is the case with many time-tested drinks, the origin of the daiquiri is murky, but it's said to have been invented around the early 1900s. You're also probably familiar with one of the cocktail's biggest fans, legendary drinker Ernest Hemingway, who got a daiquiri named for him called the Papa Doble (#LifeGoals), as well as his frenemy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, who made mention of daiquiris in his novel, This Side of Paradise.
Before you get to mixing, make sure you pick up a nice silver rum. Seriously, it's worth it. I went with Drum Circle Distilling's Siesta Key Rum, whose toasted coconut bottle we used for the Toasted Coconut Painkiller. I haven't tried every rum from the Sarasota craft distillery, but I'm comfortable saying silver is the best one. At least for this drink.
One taste of this OG daiquiri will make you wonder why it isn't always featured as a cocktail menu staple. It's a quintessential summer cocktail — refreshing, drinkable and balanced. Perfect, really.
Daiquiri
Makes 1
1.5 ounces silver rum (we used Siesta Key)
3/4 ounce lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water stirred in a small pan over medium heat until dissolved)
Lime wheel, for garnish
Fill a coupe glass with ice and set aside to chill. In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients and top with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Discard ice from coupe glass and strain in cocktail. Garnish with a lime wheel floated on top.
Follow CL contributor Chris Fasick (@cfasick) on Twitter, or email him at [email protected] if there's a cocktail or recipe you'd like featured.
