Daiquiri - Cocktail
Welcome!
Welcome to Drink with Chu, a place to share and discuss a love of all things cocktails and beverages.
For our first drink, let’s start with one of my personal favourites, the daiquiri.
What is a daiquiri?
DAIQUIRI!!!
Ah, the simple daiquiri. Rum, lime juice and sugar shaken together – what more do you need?
I’ve always considered a daiquiri an afternoon refresher. Maybe a pre-dinner drink, an after-meal snifter or even a nightcap. Am I saying daiquiris are to be drunk on any occasion, at any time of day? Absolutely, yes!
I used to start my night shifts with a cheeky “Snac-quiri”, a quick half portioned daiquiri split between me and my colleague. I’d later end the night with a handful more knock-off daiquiris at another bar. Trust me, there is no feeling more beautiful than a late-night sweet-sour palate cleanser to end your 9-hour shift.
Ugly Pic, Tasty Daq.
Drink Breakdown
A regular daiquiri only contains three ingredients: rum, lime and sugar. It’s so simple, but can be deceptively laborious to perfect.
First, your choice of rum. Light rum is most common, as the cocktail’s namesake gold mine is near Santiago de Cuba, the hometown of Bacardi rum. However, using aged rum gives a much better body and richness to the drink.
When it comes to lime juice, you’ve got to make it fresh. Nothing compares to the fresh lime. As for the sugar? Some use granulated, while others prefer syrup. As for ice — do your best to shake with one big piece. Shake to a good amount of aeration, but not to a point where it becomes over diluted.
Strain into a cold glass. Do you see a foamy head on top of your drink, that stays for at least five seconds? Ah ha! Looks like someone just made a good daiquiri! The head never lies!
Chu’s Daiquiri Recipe
45ml Plantation 3 Stars Light Rum
5ml Smith & Cross Jamaican Highproof Rum
30ml fresh squeezed lime juice
20ml sugar syrup (1:1 caster sugar to water)
Build, shake and strain into the cocktail glass without ice. No garnish.
What makes it so special?
There’s no golden formula here. A good daiquiri is a balance of every component. . Two bartenders can, in fact, use the same recipe, yet still get very different results! I’ve done this experiment several times throughout my drink-making career. We’ll add the exact same ingredients into the two shakers.
Then, we’ll shake simultaneously, but with each giving a personal touch on the shaking method and duration. The outcome is not a surprise; it tastes different and, in fact, shines with the bartender’s personality!
So next time you head out to a bar you love, order a daiquiri to begin. Some say it is a “bartender’s handshake”, which is true, but for me, a daiquiri will always be a tribute to the one and only Mr Sasha Petraske. Farewell, chief.
