The daiquiri: the underside of a myth
In popular culture, the daiquiri is associated with the memory of the writer Ernest Hemingway. In 1932, while he was away in Cuba to complete his masterpiece "For Whom the Bell Tolls," Hemingway happened to wander around and stumble upon a small bar decorated with precious wood called "El Floridita." Drawn to the crowds, he entered and discovered the reason for the crowds: the daiquiri.
The origins of this cocktail are diverse.
For some, it was born in an iron mine in eastern Cuba called Daïquiri. At the end of the day, two engineers wanted to toast but found only rum, lemons and sugar. They then decided to mix them in a shaker with ice. They found it so good that they named it "daïquiri", in reference to the iron mine.
For others, he was discovered by an American general who intervened with his troops in the Daïquiri region in 1898 when the war between Cuba, Spain and the United States broke out. He did not go down in history for his bravery or pugnacity. Obese, lazy and a poor tactician, he did however have the merit of adding ice to Canchánchar, the favorite drink of Cuban patriots made of two thirds rum and one third lemon juice.
The secret to preparation: perfect dosage and timing
A daiquiri is a short drink preparation that is usually served in a cocktail glass.
To prepare a daiquiri, you will need:
- 90 ml Cuban rum
- 40 ml lime juice
- 20 ml of cane sugar syrup
- 1 slice of lime
- 6 ice cubes
In a shaker, pour the rum, lime juice and cane syrup. Shake it vigorously for eight to ten seconds before straining it over a martini glass using an ice strainer. You can then garnish the glass with a lime wheel.
The trick is to shake the shaker vigorously so that the ice cubes can lower the temperature of the cocktail. However, you must avoid melting them.
The daiquiris prepared at "El Floridita" are undoubtedly the best in the world, both for the respect of the mixing time and its additions to the initial recipe by introducing a few drops of maraschino and 1 cl of triple sec, all served in a previously frosted glass.
Lemon Infidelities: Some Variations of the Daiquiri
There are variations of the daiquiri. You can opt for the strawberry and watermelon daiquiri, the banana and lime daiquiri, the frozen grape daiquiri or the mango and apple daiquiri or even the coconut-orange daiquiri. The "Hemingway Daiquiri", in homage to the great man, or "Papa Doble", is a mix of white rum, lemon, half a grapefruit and six drops of maraschino, served without sugar and well chilled.
Olivier, from the Rhum Attitude team