I love a Daiquiri. It’s just a brilliantly versatile cocktail – as great as an aperitivo as it is with a cigar at the end of the day. I’ve had Daiquiris on the beach in Puerto Rico and during a -20°C winter in Moscow, and for both occasions there was a perfect rum to suit the context.
The Daiquiri might look simple, with only three ingredients, but it’s one of those cocktails where it’s hard to achieve the perfect balance for your environment. The secret lies in carefully selecting and treating each single ingredient.
One tip I always share is to taste the freshly squeezed lime juice before mixing it, to test its level of acidity. Then you can adjust the rum and sugar levels accordingly. And of course, you need fine ingredients: a high-quality rum; the freshest limes; crystal-clear ice in a big chunk; and a good sugar element, whether caster sugar, sugar syrup or a different kind of sugar. (This decision really does make a difference. Try them and see.)
The type of rum you use should depend not only on taste but also on the occasion. Personally, I tend to go for Jamaican dark rum, but everybody is different, so play with different expressions to find your perfect choice. Sometimes I even create my own bespoke blend of rums for a more complex array of flavours, mixing a Spanish-style light rum, a Jamaican dark rum, a Barbados rum and a touch of agricole.
Agostino Perrone’s go-to Daiquiri recipe
- 50ml Jamaican dark rum
- 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 barspoons of caster sugar (sugar lends more freshness, though sugar syrup will deliver a silkier, rounder texture)
- Add the rum, lime juice and sugar (syrup) to a shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime twist.
