Ep. 2 Walk Before you Rum - The Daiquiri

Welcome to episode 2 of The Art of Drinking with Join Jules and Your Favorite Uncle

What are we drinking?

This cocktail is the definition of balance, we are making… The Daiquiri!

the most foundational drink of drinks, The Daiquiri. Any true mixologist is measured by how he or she makes a daiquiri. It is a simple 3 ingredient cocktail, but the quality all hinges on the balance of the cocktail.

It is NOT the heartburn-inducing syrupy brainfreeze-inducing madness that is popular with spring breakers and tourist traps around the world… This is a balanced, sophisticated, and refreshingly bright cocktail - lime, sugar, and light rum.  

The Daiquiri

Uncle Brad’s Recipe

What do I need?

You can make a good daiquiri with a single light rum, you can make a great daiquiri with 2 rums to layer the flavors. I like a light rum agricole or sugar cane rum, which brings a little grassy flavor and nicaraguan (flor de cana) or Plantations 3 star rum. 

If on a budget, buy 1 bottle of light rum - but avoid making it solely with rhum agricole or cane rum

• If you want layers, buy a rum agricole too

• Buy limes, usually about 1oz of juice per lime and need one for garnish

• Buy cane sugar for your simple syrup

• Ice

• Boston Shaker tin on tin 28/18

• Hawthron strainer

• I double strain if pouring into a coupe (yes, do that) mine so a fine mesh strainer

• You can easily pour this into a rocks glass with ice if you wanted, and skip the strainer

• Coupe or Rocks glass

How do I make it?

Put your couple glass in the freezer or fill it with cold water and ice - let it chill

Going back to 3 legged stool

1. Grab your shaker small side gets ice

2. Pour ¼ oz of rhum agricol in shaker

3. Pour 1 ¾ oz of light rum in a shaker

4. OR just 2 oz of light rum

5. ¾ oz juice of freshly squeezed lime

6. ¾ oz of 1:1 simple syrup

7. SHAKE IT like, really rough it up

8. Separate the shaker (hint, when using your Boston shaker - listen up if you’re unfamiliar)

   1. Put the two parts together, a large part on the bottom. Give it a little tap on the table to create the seal, this magic seal is made stronger once you start shaking because the cold air creates negative air pressure or a vacuum inside the shaker.

   2. With the small end pointing towards you, shake the drink… shake the hell out of it. Back and forth or up and down (back and forth easier) you MUST bang the ice from one end and the other. You’re breaking the ice down so it rapidly chills the drink as well as aerates it. Don’t lull it to sleep

   3. To break the seal, squeeze the top of the shaker, twist the bottom while, or give it a knock with the heel of your hand. Do this while holding the shaker firmly in one hand and hitting the heel of your hand on the large end of the shaker at or just below the seal

   4. Grab chilled coupe glass and double strain into.

   5. Garnish with a lime wheel. Cut the lime in half across the diameter, cut a fat ¼-inch wheel, nick the rind at the bottom of the wheel, and lined up with the membrane. Slide on the glass

Join Jules’ Recipe

What do I need?

Oh, man! This is a good one, and Brad you know I love an egg white cocktail so this is… chefs kiss for me. Here’s what you’ll need & easy enough you’ll want brads ingredients and then just a couple more things so if you’re making brads and want to try this one out you’re not buying too much. Okay here’s what you’ll need:

• Rum, I like to use a dark rum here but you can use a light rum (it’s true preference here)

• Lime juice, fresh or I don’t want it

• Simple syrup, I like vanilla syrup but I used a Madagascar vanilla honey syrup from a company called Daysie and it’s delicious in this recipe

• Egg white

• Aperitif, like Aperol or I used this Aperitif called VESO which is a Strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit, and valencia orange liqueur, and its beautiful. 

• Lavender bitters

• Citrus wheel, dehydrated

• Cocktail shaker, Boston tin is preferred here

• Jigger

• Citrus squeezer

• Coupe glass

How do I make it?

So now that you know how to make the classic which is so easy and delicious, this cocktail follows the same body of the daiquiri but with a modern twist by yours truly. So, here’s how you’ll make it:

In the small side of your Boston shaker you’ll want to crack an egg white into the shaker. This will make sure you don’t get any shells in your drink.

You’ll then want to add ¾ oz fresh lime juice into your jigger and pour it into a cocktail shaker. 

Next is your sweetener measure a ½ oz of either vanilla syrup or that vanilla honey syrup either works great.

Add 3/4 oz of your aperitif of choice, I used VESO

Then add 1.5 oz or 2 oz of rum to your shaker.

Now, don’t add ice! But shake without ice, this is called a dry shake. 

Shake for about 20 seconds, and do be carefully shaking as the egg does create pressure that may lead to leakage. 

Now, add ice and shake again, about 30 seconds.

In a chilled coupe glass, double strain the cocktail into the glass.

Garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel on the right side of the frothy top and drop 4 drops of lavender bitters on the side of the citrus wheel.

Et Voila! A delicious Aperitif Daiquiri sour

Get your Daiquiri history lesson by listening to the full podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Balancing sweet and tart. If you like things sweeter, instead of 3/4 oz sugar, use an oz. If you like things more tart, instead of 3/4 oz lime, use an ounce. With this formula, 2 oz spirt and balancing act of tart and sweet, you've unlocked the foundation to many cockails. The Margarita, Whiskey Sour, Collis, Lemon Drop, Side Car… in some cases the sweet comes in the form of a liqueur, other times it's in the form of simple syrup, or a combination of both. I personally like a little simple syrup because it gives the drink "weight" and a good mouth feel.