The Daiquiri:

An Essential Past

There were a lot of things all happening simultaneously in Cuba back in 1898, the Spanish were being ousted, the future president of the United States was fighting in the hills and the local rum would begin a transformation from pirate booty to international spirit of choice, all at the hands of two mining engineers.

          With so many Americans in the country at that time it probably isn’t too surprising that the drinks created in that year have become icons of Cuba like the famous cigar and in regards to the mighty Daiquiri, the most widely consumed cocktail on earth.  But the argument still rages as to whom, why and where this classic did cometh from, so I have taken the liberty to set certain facts in order and hopefully clarify what the truth may be.

          There must be admission that I too have sprouted some mistaken facts, that is until I read Charles H. Baker’s, “The Gentleman’s Companion” which outlines in detail the people involved and the reasons for their concoction.  Harry E Stout and Jennings Cox were the essential characters in this tele-novella.  They worked for war-contracted Bethlehem Steel, which had taken over an iron mine in Daiquiri a town that had been ‘conquered’ early by the American Navy and the Cuban army.

          The problem for Americans at that time was Yellowjack malaria that was believed to come from drinking water, which is a known fact from all the soldiers and Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders themselves who were quarantined on Montauk, the furthest point of Long Island. 

          So as the story goes, alcohol would kill the germs but the taste left a lot to be desired so they added half a lime and some sugar to balance the citrus.  Then they shook this with ice made from distilled water and ole!

          Obviously the taste was much improved and the more they had the better the mix eventually became, to the point where drinking the water ceased to become a problem at all. 

          So here it is and let there be no more bickering and silly proclamations of delusional beliefs, the recipe from the creators for the Original Cuban Daiquiri, 45ml white or dark Cuban rum, 2 tsp of sugar and the strained juice of one and a half small limes, which I gather to be about 35ml or so. 

           The method is always another contested topic with some cocktail puritans insisting on double straining the drink in a chilled glass while uneducated customers who don’t know crap from clay desire the varied frozen versions.  The truth of the

matter is the originators are adamant the cocktail should be shaken with finely cracked (crushed) ice then poured directly into the glass, ice and all going on to explain that the use of a blender is now recommended.  The magic irony of it all

almost takes your breath away doesn’t it?  So much for the know-it-alls.

          Mr. Baker explains in his book several rules to observe while mixing though, “Never use Lemon juice.  And remember please, that a too-sweet Daiquiri is like a lovely lady with too much perfume.”  Which is something that could be said of most cocktails that require a sweetener whether that is syrup, sugar or even liqueurs like Cointreau and Grand Marnier.  He goes on to give his own ‘betterments’ of his mate Harry’s recipe by increasing the rum dosage to 60ml, dropping the sugar to 1 tsp, the lime to 20ml and adding 3 to 4 drops of orange blossom water over the top of the finished product.  

         Could this have inspired the writer’s other good friend, Hemmingway to order his own variation from legendary bartender and owner of La Floridita, Constantino Ribailagua?  Maybe that will always remain a mystery but the point is made that Daiquiris had been consumed by this traveling bon vivant in every reputable bar inside the Caribbean island including the original Bacardi factory, close to where the drink was conceptualized.  So it would be a good presumption that he would have a much more learned opinion than most current professional bartenders in this or any other country.  

And that my brethren you can take to the bank…Cheers!