Daiquiri cocktails are a historical favourite among cocktail lovers, and those who enjoy a refreshing drink by the pool.
Perfect for hot weather, Daiquiris are a family of cocktails that combine the main ingredients of rum, some citrus juice (lime or lemon), and a sugar or other sweetener such as the common simple syrup.
In the 1948 cocktail bible The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David A Embury lists the daiquiri as one of the six basic cocktails a bartender must learn. This popular cocktail has stood the test of time and is on nearly every cocktail menu in modern America.
The Daiquiri came to popularity in the early 1900s, although its history is debated, like many cocktails, and the true date it may have originated could have been much earlier.
Daiquiri is actually the name of an iron mine and beach near Santiago de Cuba in Cuba, so many believe this is where the drink originated from.
Apparently, an American mining engineer by the name of Jennings Cox was in Cuba during the time of the American and Spanish Civil War, and had sampled the cocktail from the locals.
It’s aso been reported that William A Chanler, who purchased these mines in Santiago, introduced the local cocktail to the American audience in 1902.
The drink gained the fame it is known for today in the 1940s, during the Second World War whiskey and vodka was harder to come by while rum was plentiful due to Roosevelt’s trade agreement with Latin American countries that helped sustain the home effort during the war.
Funnily enough, it’s quite likely that the popular daiquiri cocktail originated from an old sailor’s grog that was used to avoid scurvy – it’s basically the same recipe.
As rum was ripe for sailors at the time, as the stereotype goes, they combined it with some form of lemon or lime as well as copious amounts of sugar.
This helped them pass the time by getting drunk and also avoid the dangerous scurvy that comes from a lack of Vitamin C in their diets.
Daiquiri’s come in many forms and flavours which can require different makes of rum, which come in their own variations on flavor and independent pairings.
Whether you are trying to avoid the scurvy, or you just want a relaxing drink in the sun, vitamin C intact, we have found all the best rum combinations for your specific daiquiri so that you can get on with your drinking without thinking too much about it.
Our The Best Rum For Daiquiri Cocktails Reviews
Best Dark Rum: Plantation Original Dark Rum
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This dark rum is basically traditional due to its long history and early origin.
We felt that Plantation Dark Rum is great for a daiquiri drinker that prefers dark rum, as this Caribbean influenced liquor has the same nautical vibe as the history of this cocktail.
This age old classic will certainly provide the dark notes you require in your daiquiri.
This particular rum takes around 19 years per bottle until it reaches your glass.
It is first distilled in Jamaica where it lives for up to 15 years before moving to Barbados to distill for a further 3 years and finally France where it ages for less than a year until it is sold to the public.
This long distillation and aging process provides some great complexity to the rum that will make your daiquiri a little bit more special that your old sailors grog while still maintaining the mariner authenticity of the cocktail.
The aged syrupy flavour works great with the sugar content of the cocktail and lime juice really helps to cut through the stick sweet aftertones so they stand out more than they would on their own.
Best White Rum: Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum
This is one of the original and classic white rums, sourced from Jamaica this is a favorite among the islands and is another rum with nautical history which was created all the way back in 1825.
This rum is the favoured white rum among Jamaicans, apparently 90% of rum sales in Jamaica are attributed to Wray and Nephews, and for good reason.
Even though this rum is proofed to the point of 63% ABV, the alcohol level actually reacts perfectly with the use of a citrus juice as , in tandem, they cut through the sweetness of sugar in the cocktail.
Moreover, this white rum has some strong notes of pear, pineapple, and more citrus. We found these perfectly complemented the tropical elements of the cocktail.
To exasperate the tropical element of the cocktail further you could use grapefruit juice instead of lemon and lime for some really sour but fruity notes.
Best Blended Rum: Foursquare Probitas Rum
This blended rum provides the perfect combination of tropical flavours of white rum with the syrupy molasses of dark rum into a perfect mixture that wouldn’t go amiss in a daiquiri.
Probitas combines two rums, one from Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, and the Hampden Estate in Jamaica – this iconic combination creates a traditional rum that echoes the past while uniting the future.
Carrying on the Caribbean vibe, tihs rum has the usual tropical flavours but also has a vanilla overtone that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the cocktail while also providing that alcoholic kick that will cut through the noise.
This rum will walk the tightrope between the strong white rum flavours and the brooding darkness of dark rum and will please all rum lovers.
Best Budget Rum: Don Q Cristal Rum
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For a white rum on the cheaper side, this makes a pretty good daiquiri if you are scrimping on the pennies. If you are having a barbeque why not splash out on your meat instead of teh alcohol and go for longevity rather than quality with your daiquiris.
Get two bottles of this and you can serve the party all night without breaking your bank.
Don Q isn’t actually bad rum at all, its a blend of 5 years old rums which have been multi-distilled. For a rum on the cheaper side, Don Q are adamant about having ‘no additives’, which is super helpful in a daiquiri which is a pretty simple cocktail.
As it is such a simple cocktail, something like Don Q doesn’t go missing and provides the cheek smacking alcohol to cut through the sweet and fruity notes. It’s also a great choice if you like simple go to drinks like a rum and Coke!
Best Top Shelf Rum: Equiano
Equiano is a top shelf rum, which is on the darker side, and is perfect to make your daiquiri sing. As a daiquiri is so simple and has so few ingredients which are pretty inexpensive it can be good to push the boat out when so few ingredients are required.
Named after Olaudah Equiano, a famous writer and abolitionist from the Caribbean, this rum celebrates the history of abolition rather than favouring colonial advertising which further Caribbean stereotypes – this rum unites rather than subsumes.
Equiano is so popular, and has won so many awards, mainly for its interesting aging process.
This aged rum spends its time in ex cognac and ex bourbon barrels which gives the rum a particularly desirable okay and deep caramel flavor that you could expect from a cognac or whiskey.
This is near perfect for a daiquiri, it adds butterscotch, caramel and marmalade notes as well as woody notes that really perfect the citrus tastes within a Daiquiri and take your home cocktails to another level.
Our Conclusion
Rum is a great spirit that has a deep history in the US and its relations with the Caribbean islands.
Previously draped in colonial shame, the reignition of good relations between US and our Caribbean, and latino, counterparts means that the rum trade is beneficial to both parties and the islanders are reciprocated financially for their unique goods.
If there is any cocktail that celebrates the modern relations between the US and the Caribbean, it should be humble Daiquiri.
The humble daiquiri came from the bowels of the colonial boats to the coasts of latin america and ended up on the table of naval officers.
So, you can dress this cocktail up or down depending on your preference, don’t be afraid to go for a cheaper daiquiri that will go the miles at your party.
Equally, don’t be afraid to pimp out the ingredients in what is a pretty short ingredient list to wow your guests.
Rum is also a huge umbrella which subsumes so many different flavor profiles, from aniseed-y and spiced white rums, to high proof fruity rums.
Dark rums help provide the smooth, sweet, and malty notes that make a daiquiri moreish and rich. Like them both?
Then there are plenty of blends out there which provide a quality balance between the two.
We find that a blended rum can work best within a daiquiri as it walks the line perfectly between the occasionally herbal notes of white rum and the sweeter side of dark rum.
Shake up your home cook out this summer with a daiquiri recipe and knowledge that will blow the socks off your guests.