Daiquiri
A classic daiquiri is one of the most delicious and simple cocktails you could ever make.
Sadly a lot of people hear “daiquiri” and immediately picture a sugary, frozen boat drink that is meant to be consumed aboard an overcrowded cruise ship. Although this classic drink has certainly been bastardized by restaurant chains and cruise lines alike, you simply have never had a real daiquiri until you’ve made one like this.
All you need is a quality rum (Plantation 3 Star or Copalli White Rum are my personal go-to’s for a good daq), fresh lime juice (none of that pre-bottled stuff), simple syrup and ice. That’s it.
The daiquiri is also the perfect drink for learning how to properly balance a cocktail. The below specs are what I typically recommend, but if you prefer your daiquiri more on the “tart” side, you can up the lime juice just by an additional ¼ oz. If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add only ¼ oz more of simple syrup. You’ll notice just by changing the recipe by ¼ oz of any one ingredient that it will dramatically shift the final result.
ingredients:
2 oz rum
¾ oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
Absinthe mist (optional)
instructions:
Combine rum, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker, and shake well with ice.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Optional: using an atomizer (small spray bottle) spray a mist of absinthe over the surface of the finished cocktail.
Other recipes to try out:
When adding fresh herbs to cocktails, like basil or mint, many reach for the muddler and proceed to crush the herbs into pieces in the base of the cocktail shaker. There’s really no reason to do this and you probably shouldn’t because overly crushing the herbs may introduce unwanted bitterness in the cocktail.