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Daiquiri
Daiquirí: light rum, fresh lime and sugar shaken hard and served ice-cold in a chilled coupe
The daiquirí is named after a beach and the old iron mines east of Santiago de Cuba, where engineers and miners at the turn of the twentieth century mixed the local white rum with lime and sugar to cut the heat. Later Havana's bars turned it into a frozen blended drink, but in eastern Cuba it is still drunk the plain way, shaken, in the late afternoon or before a dinner of congrí and roast pork. It is a cocktail for adults only, short and clean: tart lime, a light touch of sugar and the soft, dry vanilla notes of light rum, served so cold it almost stings. The common mistake is a lazy shake, which leaves the drink warm, harsh and too strong. Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for a full 12–15 seconds. It is ready when the tin is too cold to hold, there are tiny shards of ice on the surface and the drink has a fine foam at the rim. Have one and drink responsibly. Balance matters more than amounts: taste your limes, and add a little more syrup if they are very sour. Chef's tip: chill the coupe in the freezer first; a daiquirí loses its magic within minutes in a warm glass.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the daiquirí
- 3 ½ tbsp white rumlight, Cuban style
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juicefreshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp simple syrup1:1 sugar and water; or 2 tsp caster sugar
- 10 ice cubes
For the alcohol-free version
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juice (optional)
- 1 ½ tbsp simple syrup (optional)
- ¼ cup coconut water (optional)chilled; or white grape juice
- 10 ice cubes (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put a coupe or small cocktail glass in the freezer until frosted.
5 minStep 2: Pour 3 ½ tbsp white rum, 1 ½ tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp simple syrup into a shaker and fill it with 10 ice cubes.
1 minStep 3: Shake hard for 12–15 seconds, until the tin is painfully cold and frosted all over.
1 minStep 4: Strain into the chilled glass through a fine sieve to catch ice chips and serve at once.
1 minStep 5: Alcohol-free version: shake 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, 1 ½ tbsp simple syrup and ¼ cup coconut water with 10 ice cubes until frosted and strain into a chilled glass.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does daiquiri take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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Spanish