Daiquiri

The classic daiquiri has to be one of my favorite cocktails of all time. Its combination of sweet and sour hits the spot every time. It only has three ingredients, which makes it super simple to make, but it also means that each ingredient matters a lot. So let’s do ourselves a favor and only use the good stuff, shall we?

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Watch Me Mix It

Let’s Make It

1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, white rum, FRESH lime juice, and simple syrup.
2. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel and enjoy!

Daiquiri Ingredients

White Rum

There are so many different kinds of rum out there — white, gold, dark, spiced, aged, black — it can be overwhelming to know what kind to get for a simple daiquiri. For this classic cocktail, we only want white rum. It’s clear and has a mild, light-bodied flavor, which makes it perfect for pairing with lime juice and simple syrup. The darker rum gets, the more robust its flavor, ranging from caramel and vanilla for gold rums to a deep rich molasses for dark and black rums. So for the daiquiri, white rum it is! I used Diplomatico Planas Aged White Rum from Venezuela!

Lime Juice

If it’s not fresh-squeezed, I don’t want it! A classic daiquiri can go from really delicious to really awful if you don’t use fresh lime juice. And we don’t want the sad limes that have been rolling around in the bottom of the crisper drawer for a week. When I say fresh, I mean it. You know what, why don’t you just go out and buy and lime tree and tend to it until it grows limes for you? Okay… no, you’re right, that’s crazy. Grocery store limes are fine.

Simple Syrup

Sure, you can buy simple syrup. But making your own at home could not be easier. Just add equal parts sugar and water to a saucepan over medium heat and stir it until sugar dissolves. Let it cool and store your homemade simple syrup for up to 4 weeks in the fridge. It really is that easy.

Now, here’s where you can deviate from the classic daiquiri by playing with the flavors of your syrups. Simple syrup is the base for the classic recipe, but you could really play up the tropical vibes of the rum and lime by doing banana syrup or pineapple syrup. Demerara syrup would be nice too, especially if you want to play off rum’s natural nuttiness.

Dehydrated Citrus

I make my own dehydrated citrus wheels, but you can also find them online and in some stores. Even if you don’t have a dehydrator at home, you can still make your own. Here’s how:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 107-200 degrees F (depending on how low your oven can go).
2. Then, ideally using a mandoline, slice your citrus into very thin rounds.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the citrus wheels on the parchment paper.
4. Pop the tray in the oven and bake for 2 hours, flip the wheels, and bake for 1 to 4 more hours until they are completely dried.
5. Let them cool completely and use to garnish all your cocktails!

If you’ve completely dehydrated your citrus wheels, they should keep in an airtight ziplock bag for a few years!

Daiquiris…

With a Twist