Sam Horwitz's Classic Cocktail Compendium

Daiquiri

• 2 fluid ounces of a Spanish-style light rum

  (recommended: Havana Club 3 Años of Cuba^¹)

• 1 fluid ounce of fresh lime juice

• ⅓ fluid ounce (2 teaspoons) of demerara gum syrup or 2 teaspoons (8 grams) of demerara sugar

  (pictured: Liber & Co. Demerara Gum Syrup)

Make sure the lime juice is well-strained. If using sugar rather than syrup, muddle with the lime juice until dissolved. Shake all of the ingredients with ice and double strain into a frozen cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel, if desired.

Rum Collins

Serve in a highball or collins glass and top with sparkling water or soda water in an approximate 1∶1 ratio, or to taste. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Bacardi Cocktail

Replace the demerara gum syrup with ½ fluid ounce of pomegranate grenadine and use Bacardi Superior rum.

Hemingway Special

Ernest Hemingway enjoyed Daiquiris with rum, fresh lime and grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur, as well as without any added sugar. Any Daiquiri using using those ingredients may fall under the umbrella of Hemingway Special variations.

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club

Trader Vic perfected this tiki version of the Daiquiri by replacing the sweet component of sugar with spicier tiki ingredients. Switch the Spanish-style rum to an aged Bajan rum, reduce the lime juice to ¾ fluid ounce, and replace the syrup (or sugar) with ½ fluid ounce of falernum and ¼ fluid ounce of orange curaçao.

Vicious Virgin

Donn Beach created this tiki version of the Daiquiri by splitting the sweetener with falernum. Reduce the Spanish-style rum to 1½ fluid ounces and split 2∶1 between gold and light. Reduce the lime juice to ½ fluid ounce. Reduce the syrup to ¼ fluid ounce (1½ teaspoons) and add the same amount of falernum. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Shrunken Skull

Another tiki twist on the Daiquiri (or perhaps the Bacardi Cocktail). Use a 1∶1 split of dark Demerara rum and Spanish-style gold rum. Replace the demerara gum syrup with 1 fluid ounce of pomegranate grenadine. Serve on the rocks in a larger-sized lowball glass or double old fashioned glass, with the ice used to shake the drink.

Donga Punch

Yet another tiki twist on the Daiquiri. Switch the Spanish-style rum to an aged rhum agricole, reduce the lime juice to ¾ fluid ounce, and replace the syrup (or sugar) with 1½ fluid ounces of Don’s mix. Serve on the rocks in a larger-sized lowball glass or double old fashioned glass, with the ice used to shake the drink.

Zombie Daiquiri

This is a Daiquiri-fied version of the Zombie created by Sam Horwitz. Split the rum so that 1½ fluid ounces are an aged Bajan and ½ fluid ounce is a 151-proof Demerara, reduce the lime juice to ¾ fluid ounce, and replace the syrup (or sugar) with ¼ fluid ounce of falernum and ¼ fluid ounce of Don’s mix. Add ¼ teaspoon of pomegranate grenadine and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters as well as 2 dashes of French absinthe.

Mai Tai Daiquiri

This is a Daiquiri-fied version of the Mai Tai created by Sam Horwitz. Switch the Spanish-style rum to any combination of rums that would be preferred in a Mai Tai, reduce the lime juice to ¾ fluid ounce, and replace the syrup (or sugar) with ¼ fluid ounce of either orgeat syrup or falernum and ¼ fluid ounce of orange curaçao.

Jasper's Jamaican Daiquiri

Beachbum Berry documented this drink created by Jasper LeFranc. It has been slightly modified by Sam Horwitz for more Daiquiri-esque proportions. Switch the Spanish-style rum to 1¾ fluid ounces of gold Jamaican rum, reduce the lime juice to ¾ fluid ounce, reduce the syrup to 1 teaspoon, and add ¾ fluid ounce of pimento dram.

Caipirinha

Replace the rum with cachaça. Build in the lowball glass it will be served in. Rather than use lime juice, quarter a lime and muddle it with the sugar or syrup, prior to adding the cachaça. Add the cachaça, stir with ice, and serve.