Frozen Daiquiri
Recipe
-
2 oz white rum - chilled in the freezer, if possible
-
scant 1 oz lime juice (say, ⅞ oz)
-
1½ oz simple syrup
-
lime disc with some flesh on it (optional)
-
small pinch salt (optional)
-
1½ cups ice
Combine everything in a blender, except the lime disc. Blend for 8-10 seconds and pour into the drinking vessel of your choice. Express the oils and juice from the disc. Briefly stir to integrate, and serve with a straw.
Overview
I'm sure you all know this, but just so there’s no confusion, a Daiquiri and a Frozen Daiquiri are not the same thing. A classic Daiquiri is white rum, lime juice, and sugar, shaken and served straight up - you can read all about it on the Daiquiri page. A Frozen Daiquiri is, naturally, frozen and made in a blender so it has a slushy consistency. Both are awesome.
Though I can’t help but feel that the frozen version has gotten a bad rap. People see it as a second rate drink that’s not to be taken seriously. But I disagree. It’s not the Frozen Daiquiri’s fault that it was hijacked and corrupted by slushy machines and premixes during the cocktail dark ages of the 1960s and 70s. If made with fresh, quality ingredients and proper balance - aka, the tenants any great cocktail - it’s an absolute knockout and the perfect antidote to beat the heat.
I’ve been making Frozen Daiquiris for the last several weeks trying hone in on the perfect recipe, and if I do say so myself, this one does not disappoint. Beware of brain freeze!
If you make a Frozen Daiquiri,
let me see! Tag a photo with #socialhourcocktails on Instagram.
Commentary
Making the Daiquiri Frozen
As you’ll notice by comparing the two recipes, a Frozen Daiquiri isn’t just a Daiquiri thrown into a blender with some ice. Frozen drinks play by different rules. The sugar needs to be increased because our perception of sweetness is lower at colder temperatures. Also, the ice needs to be measured to achieve consistent dilution since all the ice you put in there will end up in your glass.
Similar to my classic Daiquiri recipe, I like to finish Frozen Daiquiris with a lime disc that has a little flesh on it to add some lime oil and few drops of juice, 8-10 or so, at the end. While not essential, it makes any even bigger difference here because frozen drinks stifle aromatics with their arctic temperatures. The disc circumnavigates this issue and gives the drink that limey pop you’re looking for.
Adding a little salt to frozen drinks helps to enhance their flavors, but it should be imperceptible. Use just a small pinch so that you wouldn’t know it was in there otherwise.
A Brief History of the Frozen Daiquiri,
and a Defense of Frozen Machine
The electric blender was Introduced to the Market in the 1930s, and the frozen Daiquiri wasn’t far behind. The man credited with popularizing the frozen Daiquiri is Constantino “Constante” Ribialigua Vert, the Master of the La Floridita Bar in Havana, Cuba. You read more about his role in the Daiquiri’s history, and get some tasty Daiquiri variation recipes, on the Hemingway Daiquiri page.
When frozen drink machines like ICEE, emerged in the 1950s, the Frozen Daiquiri began to take on its more infamous artificial smoothie form. But to be clear just because a drink is coming from a machine, doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad. The real culprit here are premixes. If you put fresh ingredients in there, you’ll get fantastic results. In fact, I’d say the best and most consistent frozen drinks are made in a machine. We have one at Leyenda , our pan-latin bar across the street from Clover Club, and it’s indispensable.
Lime disc with some flesh on it for a little extra juice.