🥃 Daiquiri

Daiquiri is a classic Cuban cocktail of white rum, fresh lime juice and sugar, shaken in a shaker with ice and served chilled in a cocktail glass. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists it in the "The Unforgettables" category and specifies 60 ml of white Cuban rum, 20 ml of lime juice and two bar spoons of sugar.

History. According to Difford's Guide, the drink is named after the town of Daiquirí near Santiago de Cuba, where after 1898 the American mining engineer Jennings Cox ran iron ore exploration. His team was supplied with Bacardi Carta Blanca rum, and Cox began mixing it with lime and sugar. A similar Cuban drink, canchánchara, made of cane spirit, lime and honey, is known from the 19th century.

Spread. In 1909, according to Difford's Guide, American admiral Lucius Johnson brought the recipe to the Army & Navy Club in Washington, where there is a Daiquiri Lounge. The cocktail first appeared in a recipe book in 1914, in a collection by Jacques Straub. The American Historical Association notes that most accounts of its origin survive only orally.

Variations. In the Havana bar El Floridita, Constantino Ribalaigua popularized the frozen daiquiri on finely crushed ice. Difford's Guide uses 50 ml of white rum, 15 ml of lime juice and 10 ml of thick sugar syrup in its recipe; this is about 16 g of pure alcohol per serving.

Why this matters to you. The daiquiri seems light because of the lime and sugar, but it contains 50–60 ml of rum, more than one standard dose; the frozen version masks the strength even more. Do not drive after the cocktail. The WHO reminds: there is no safe dose of alcohol.