Nothing evokes the feeling of summer quite like a daiquiri cocktail. With the launch of our brand new Casa del Daiquiri cocktail box, let’s take a closer look at the origin, ingredients, variations and how best to enjoy one of these classic drinks. Plus, take a closer look at what daiquiri flavours you can find inside your box.
The origin of the Daiquiri
Daiquiris are a part of a family of cocktails created in Cuba in the late 1800s. The actual origin of a daiquiri is highly contested but it’s thought to have been invented by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox, who was in Cuba during the Spanish-American war and ran out of gin at a dinner party. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of rum: the most readily available spirit in Cuba. The cocktail was a hit and in 1902, it took New York society by storm after it was introduced to New York clubs by US Congressman, William A. Chanler. By the time the American prohibition began 20 years later, American tourists would fly to Cuba to get a taste of the sweet and tart drink.
In their simplest form, daiquiris are made up of a combination of rum, citrus juice, and sugar but since their birth at the Cuban beach town and rum-producing district by the same name, there are now many, many different variations for you to enjoy.
What’s in a daiquiri?
As mentioned, Daiquiris are rum-based cocktails. Traditionally they are made using white rum as they offer a sharpness that cuts through the sweetness of the sugar but they can be made with other types of rum for a different flavour profile.
At the time of the Daiquiri’s original invention, the rum-making approach in its Cuban birthplace resulted in a style of spirit that was dry and crisp. This style of rum was essential to the Daiquiri’s rise in popularity so using one of a similar flavour will help to make your daiquiris as authentic as possible.
The different variations of a daiquiri
We now know that a classic daiquiri is made with fresh lime juice and rum but there are many different variations that you can enjoy using different ingredients. Strawberry daiquiris introduce the use of fresh berries to create a sweet and juicy cocktail that sings of summer and there are all kinds of other fruits you can use such as mango, banana, pineapple, raspberry, peach, and watermelon - perfect for long summer evenings with friends.
Adding maraschino liqueur and grapefruit to a classic daiquiri recipe results in a variation known as a Hemingway Daiquiri, created by Ernest Hemingway on a trip to Havana and decided that a regular daiquiri was too sweet.
Variety really is the spice of life and our Casa del Daiquiri Cocktail Box is no different. Sip your way through six different expertly blended daiquiris, all made with Ron Santiago de Cuba 11 yrs rum.
The Ron Santiago de Cuba distillery is located in the city of Santiago de Cuba - the oldest city in the country. This region has a lot going for it such as the warm Caribbean sun and humidity helping the sugar cane grow quickly. The locals even say that the rumbling from passing trains in the area makes the barrels vibrate and enhances the rum’s ageing process. The result? A perfectly summery rum with notes of vanilla, coconut, and almond.
Upon opening the Casa del Daiquiri box, you are presented with six variations on the classic daiquiri cocktail, all blended by expert mixologists.
The Forgotten Daiquiri, created by Jimmy Bertazzoli, Italy, brings the takes of Cuba’s golden age straight to your glass. The mixture of two different bitters and pure sugar cane juice recreates the authentic aguardiente’s flavours from Cuba in the late 19th and early 20th century. The perfect twist on a classic.
Sipping on a Frezza Daiquiri, mixed up by Alexander Frezza, Italy, is the perfect way to ship you off on holiday to Cuba. This daiquiri is classy, sophisticated and with a fresh flavour as the rum, crisp mint, and fruity maraschino evoke a flavour profile that can only be identified as classically Cuban.
The Noches de Malecón by Federico Pavan, is a truly unique twist on a classic drink. This cocktail captures the spirit of El Malecón - the coastal promenade of the city of Havana. Instead of lime, this daiquiri is made with melon and features a caffeine kick from liqueur flavoured with beans from Cuba's coffee plantations.
El Oriente by Georgia Billing, brings together flavours of the far East and Cuba in a delicious mixture of east meets west. This cocktail is inspired by the prominent vanilla and coconut profile of Ron Santiago de Cuba, bridging it with flavours of far eastern spices and gentle citrus.
The daiquiri has always been recognised as a drink to enjoy in the summer and the Summer Daiquiri by Nathalie Lulu in Hong Kong, is no different. Perfect for sipping at the beach or at parties, the rum is elevated by fragrant earl grey and a sweet touch of elderflower liqueur, perfectly refreshing for sipping on a hot day.
Finally, we have the El Presente, inspired by mixologist Patrick Pistolesi’s trip to Cuba. This cocktail is bursting with pineapple and passionfruit flavours which complement the coconut note in the Ron Santiago de Cuba rum.
How to enjoy a daiquiri
There’s nothing like sipping on a refreshing, chilled daiquiri on a hot day but it's even better when you prepare it properly. Because there are so many different variations to choose from, there are all kinds of different ways to serve a daiquiri.
Ice is a heated debate among daiquiri enthusiasts. You can serve a daiquiri over ice, and frozen daiquiris are blended with crushed ice, but a traditional, classic daiquiri is shaken with ice before being strained and poured into a chilled glass.
Typically, the correct glasses used to drink daiquiris are coupe glasses, and they also used to be poured into tall glasses, but many places serve them in martini glasses.
Daiquiris are rarely garnished but when they are, a simple slice of lime or another citrus, such as grapefruit for a Hemingway Daiquiri, on the lip of the glass is preferred. Adding a twist of lime offers a brighter, fresher aroma on the nose so if you’re particularly fond of citrus, this might be the garnish of choice.
Pick up a Casa del Daiquiri cocktail box to give this staple cocktail a try for yourself or have a look at our best seller box which includes our classic (and delicious) premixed daiquiri. Want to learn more about daiquiris? Have a read through our Daiquiri Cocktail Guide to learn more!