Daiquiris: From Fresh to Frozen

When you hear the word 'daiquiri,' your mind probably wanders off to a summer spent sipping frozen concoctions leisurely by the pool. But do you know where this popular summertime sipper originates from? 

History of the Daiquiri 

The daiquiri has been modernized over the years and is now most commonly known as a frozen drink blended with strawberries, bananas, mangos or other fruit, and often enjoyed by the pool or on the beach. However, when it was first created, this drink was crafted with only three ingredients: rum, sugar and fresh juice from lemons or limes.  

Named after its place of origin (Daiquirí, Cuba), the first daiquiri cocktail was crafted by Jennings Stockton Cox, an American engineer who traveled to Daiquirí following the Spanish-American War. Once there, Cox established a Bacardi ration for the workers in the iron mines and began experimenting with different blends until he developed the following recipe: The juice of 6 lemons, 6 teaspoons of sugar, 6 Bacardi cups of 'Carta Blanca,’ 2 small cups of mineral water, crushed ice. Shake well.

The Daiquiri's Migration to the States 

After its initial conception in 1898, the daiquiri cocktail remained popular in Cuba for many years. However, it was first shared with visitors outside of the island in 1909 when the USS Minnesota docked in Cuba. The ship's captain, Charles Harlows, and medical officer, Lucius Johnson, traveled to Daiquirí, where Cox served the island cocktail. Johnson then took the recipe back to the states and shared it with the 'Army & Navy Club.' Soon after, Johnson introduced the cocktail to the Baltimore University Club during the 1910s, and the cocktail began being served in various bars across the country. 

However, the daiquiri didn't fully take flight until Prohibition, when tourists and bartenders fled to Cuba to get their alcohol fix and began indulging in the famous spirits of Bacardi. By the 1940s, rationings on grain-made popular spirits like whiskey and vodka made it harder to obtain. Thus, the daiquiri grew in popularity as rum became a standard product amongst U.S. and Caribbean trades. After which, the refreshing cocktail began popping up in cocktail books and bartender recipes across the country before taking on new variations. 

Variations of the Daiquiri

The Frozen Daiquiri

Between the 1920s and 1930s, the daiquiri underwent a vast transformation when Constantino "Constante" Ribalaigua Vert, bartender and owner of a little bar in Havana called El Floridita, perfected the classic drink by adding shaved ice and throwing it in a blender, creating what we now know as the frozen daiquiri. Later on, during the 1940s and 1950s, the frozen daiquiri became known as a drink to enjoy beside a body of water. The original three-ingredient cocktail is now available in a variety of fruit flavors (typically strawberry) and is always served frozen.

The Hemingway Daiquiri

Two of the most prominent writers of the era, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, helped bring the cocktail into the limelight. While the cocktail was first mentioned in Fitzgerald's novel, This Side of Paradise, Hemingway's enjoyment of the popular drink on a visit to Cuba led to his very own variation being named after him. 

The Hemingway Daiquiri, or 'Papa Doble,' was created while the writer was staying in Havana, Cuba, where he frequented El Floridita (the same bar that crafted the frozen daiquiri.) It is said that Hemingway saw the bartender mix a batch of frozen daiquiris and, after trying it for himself, requested the drink without sugar and double the amount of rum. Thus, the Hemingway Daiquiri was born. Crafted initially with four ounces of rum, a splash of lime and blended with crushed ice, the updated Hemingway recipe calls for Maraschino liqueur instead of cane syrup and ruby red grapefruit juice to balance out the tartness of the lime.  

The Nuclear Daiquiri

The Nuclear Daiquiri was created in 2005 by bartender Gregor de Gruyther at the LAB Bar in London, England. This variation is similar to the classic daiquiri as it is served shaken over ice rather than blended and calls for overproof rum, green chartreuse, velvet falernum and lime juice. 

 The Winter Daiquiri  

This variation swaps out the traditional rum for blackstrap rum for those who crave an island cocktail during the winter months. With warm notes of molasses, coffee and cloves, this daiquiri variation is the perfect swap for the traditional eggnog. 

Craft Your Daiquiri With Northside Rum

This seasonal spirit is the perfect balance of dry and sweet flavor profiles using blackstrap molasses and pure cane brown sugar. Northside rum is ideal for crafting a Hemingway Daquiri, Rum Punch or Piña Colada.

Classic Daiquiri Recipe

Ingredients: 

2 oz light rum

1 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed

¾ oz simple syrup

Garnish (optional) lime twist

Directions: Add the rum, lime juice and sugar to a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.