One of the most classic sour cocktails! This daiquiri recipe has the perfect balance of boozy, tart and sweet with rum, lime and sweetener.

Ready for one of the best easy classic cocktail recipes? The classic daiquiri. No, it’s not frozen like what became popular in the 1990’s. It’s a classic that goes back hundreds of years that features 3 ingredients: rum, lime, and simple syrup. It sounds simple, but the balance of each element is pure perfection! Here’s how to make this classic daiquiri recipe, and the simple formula you can memorize.

Want it frozen instead? Try our Frozen Daiquiri, Strawberry Daiquiri, Banana Daiquiri, or Pineapple Daiquiri, Mango Daiquiri.

What is a daiquiri?

You might first think of frozen daiquiris, like the virgin strawberry daiquiris you ordered as a teen and thought you were oh so sophisticated. Turns out, a classic daiquiri is not frozen at all! A daiquiri is a family of rum cocktails made with white rum, citrus juice (usually lime), and a sweetener. A classic daiquiri is shaken, strained, and served in a cocktail glass. It’s on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, and is thought to have been invented in the 1800’s in Cuba. Here’s what’s in a daiquiri:

White rum
Lime juice
Simple syrup

Frozen daiquiris are mixed alcoholic drinks with pureed ice; the texture is similar to a smoothie. There can be all sorts of frozen daiquiri flavors: strawberry daiquiri, lime daiquiri, banana daiquiri, mango daiquiri, pineapple daiquiri, and so forth. If you live in the US, this is probably the type of daiquiri that you think of, which has become ubiquitous.

How to make a daiquiri

Why not add this classic daiquiri recipe to your repertoire? It’s so easy to make, reminiscent of the margarita and mojito with of its tart flavor. When we can, Alex and I like to create recipes that are easy to memorize. That way, you can always have them in your back pocket! So here’s how to make this easy-to-remember daiquiri recipe: To make a daiquiri, to a cocktail shaker, add:

3 tablespoons light or white rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup

That’s 3-2-1, got it? All you have to do is shake it up with some ice to chill it, then pour it into a cocktail glass and serve with a lime wedge.

Use best quality rum

What kind of rum to use for a daiquiri? As with any simple cocktail: the better the quality of rum, the tastier the daiquiri! There’s not much to mask the alcohol, so the flavor of the drink is all about the quality of the rum. Try to find a mid-price range bottle, which is usually indicative of the quality.

Make sure to use white rum in a classic daiquiri! Dark rum is for a different type of drink (and would change the color and flavor dramatically).

Cousin drinks to the daiquiri

Because the daiquiri is such a classic sour cocktail, there are many drinks that are related! Here are some drinks you might not realize are related to the daiquiri:

Classic Mojito Here’s the classic mojito recipe, perfectly balanced with lime, rum and fresh mint! This iconic Cuban cocktail is refreshing and just sweet enough.
Southside Cocktail The Southside cocktail is an easy and refreshing gin drink made with mint, lemon and lime: think of it like a gin mojito!
Hemingway Daiquiri Ernest Hemingway was a lover of the daiquiri! This spin is dedicated to him and uses grapefruit and Maraschino liqueur. Also try our Peach Daiquiri.
Pisco Sour This classic sour cocktail features Pisco instead of rum, with lime and sweetener.
Caipr i nha This Brazilian sour swaps out the rum with cachaça, pairing is with lime and sweetener.

This daiquiri recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, naturally sweet, and refined sugar free.