The Authentic Daiquiri | A Classic Cocktail with 3 Ingredients

The daiquiri is a classic cocktail. As classic as it gets. And yet somehow, I know I have to pause and clarify just what kind of daiquiri I’m talking about here. I’m talking about a REAL, authentic daiquiri of yesteryear. Not the bright red frozen insult spilling out the top of a much-too-tall stadium cup. Those things make my stomach churn just looking at them. Why we would do such a thing to a time-honored classic is beyond me.

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The Daiquiri has a long history, dating back to the early 1900s. Although technically, an old British Navy admiral named Edward “Old Grog” Vernon, could be first credited for the combination of rum, citrus, and sugar in an attempt to sober-up his crew. Anyhow, the Daiquiri lived in relative obscurity until the 1930s until Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald brought attention to it.

Hemingway actually loved the drink so much that he concocted his own variation of the drink, The Hemingway Daiquiri. The attention from renowned authors, coupled with the diminishing supply of whiskey (thanks to Prohibition and WWII), Americans were now more willing to turn to the rum which was previously frowned upon for being the drink of sailors and vagrants.

Brian Petro’s article about the history of the Daiquiri goes into interesting detail and even explains how this cocktail became the swirling, sugary mixture you see in dispensers at sporting events. It’s quite an informative read if you can spare a few extra minutes.

So, let’s reclaim the Daiquiri name for what it is- a sophisticated yet uncomplicated cocktail. (Also, can we talk about that adorable mini-clothespin? I could just squeal. You can find your own at Dollar Tree.)

The 3 Ingredients for an Authentic Daiquiri

• 1 1/2 – 2 oz rum
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 3/4 oz lime juice (about 1 lime)

How to Make an Authentic Daiquiri

Juice your lime into a cocktail shaker. My lime had already been chillin’ in the fridge for a while so it wasn’t the freshest. But I’m sure the sailors aboard Old Grogg’s ship managed with worse. Add a generous amount of ice, the rum, & the simple syrup.

Shake all 3 ingredients vigorously for 30 seconds. Push through the burning in your arm muscle and the chill in your hand. Unless you can shake a cocktail shaker vigorously for 30 seconds without your arm getting tired. In that case… kudos to you and you might as well keep on shaking until it does to get a little workout in. Pour into a coupe glass and put your nose in the air while you drink it because you, my friend, now know how to make an authentic daiquiri.

Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Check out this one:

It’s gorgeous, affordable, and comes with a bar spoon AND a jigger. This is one small investment you need to make if you’re interested in creating cocktails at home!

Interested in other 3 ingredient cocktails? Check out these easy cocktails:

• Gimlet
• Sidecar
• Moscow Mule
• Irish Mule
• Dark & Stormy
• White Russian