A rum business

May 5, 2012 2:18 AM

What can you teach me about making daiquiris?

I am on a mission to create the ultimate daiquiri. I started with some limes, some sugar and some three-year old Havana Club rum. I squeezed my own juice, I made my own simple syrup. I've tried different fruits (mango was good), different sugars (brown didn't work so well) and a few different rums (but it's a costly habit to experiment with).

I think it's time I had some mefi help. What fruits do you use? How do you make your syrup? What's the best rum to use? What techniques do I not know about? What are the secret ingredients I'm missing? Please share all your secrets and tips!

posted by londonmark to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

Limes and Grapefruit are the only fruits that should go near the drink. Havana Club is a superb option, tho I do occasionally make them with a white rhum agricole that's a bit of the bastard child between a daiquiri and a ti punch. Sweeteners? Sometimes I just use maraschino and a little bigger proportion of lime juice, of course the classic Hemingway replaces some of the lime for grapefruit and maraschino. When the drink is for a palate I don't know I still stay really light on simple. Also I always shake the hell out of daiquiris and serve them up.
posted by JPD at 5:03 AM on May 5, 2012

The true daiquiri is pretty basic as I'm sure you know: lime, sugar and rum shaken with ice and strained into a glass. So the key ingredient here is the rum obviously. As far as sugar, use either superfine or make a simple syrup.

I don't think this drink is meant to be gussied up like a harlot, although when it's really hot I will make a strawberry frozen daiquiri or pineapple.

Try the really good stuff like El Dorado 15 year old or Barbancourt 8 year old.
posted by jeremias at 5:10 AM on May 5, 2012

I disagree. A daiquiri is not the place for a superb dark rum. There are better ways to drink those.
posted by JPD at 5:15 AM on May 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Alton Brown's recipe is my goto daiquiri recipe.

2 ounces light rum
1-ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, strained of pulp
1/2-ounce Simple Syrup, recipe follows

The simple syrup is 2 cups sugar dissolved in 1 cup boiling water.

Shake the hell out of it with ice and strain into a chilled glass.
posted by COD at 5:57 AM on May 5, 2012

"I disagree. A daiquiri is not the place for a superb dark rum. There are better ways to drink those."

We can agree to disagree. I've had superb daiquiris with those rums as have others.
posted by jeremias at 6:45 AM on May 5, 2012

We did some extensive experimenting with fruity blenderdrinks while travelling with a group of friends in mexico, and found that adding some coconut milk was always an improvement. This might not be part of the classic daquiri recipe, but damn it's good.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 9:13 AM on May 5, 2012

I have a hazy memory of being told that key limes (also known as Mexican, West Indian, or Bartender's limes) are probably closer to the classic drink lime than supermarket limes. Alternately, juice part of an orange with your supermarket limes.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:06 AM on May 5, 2012

Banana daiquiris are pretty different from the basic version of the drink, but quite enjoyable, too. In addition to the banana, lime, rum, simple syrup, and ice, I like to add a tablespoon of triple sec.
posted by Phatty Lumpkin at 8:30 PM on May 5, 2012

Banana daiquiris are pretty different from the basic version of the drink, but quite enjoyable, too.

banana daiquiris:daiquiris :: appletinis:martinis

They are not daiquiris. Nothing wrong with drinking them, but it's like calling a scoop of mocha ice cream "a coffee".
posted by IAmBroom at 2:26 PM on May 7, 2012