Daiquiri

The spec

Two ounces of rum, one of lime, three-quarters of simple syrup. Shaken hard, strained fine, served up. Nothing about it is difficult except the temptation to add things.

Fresh lime, squeezed that day. Lime juice starts losing brightness within hours. Bottled lime juice makes a Daiquiri that tastes like a Daiquiri from a chain restaurant, which is to say it makes people think they don’t like Daiquiris.

Shake hard. This is a drink that wants aeration and cold. Ten to twelve seconds with plenty of ice, then a fine strain to catch the ice shards so the texture is silky rather than slushy.

The rum. A clean white rum (Cuban-style, or a Spanish-style white) is the default. A funkier Jamaican rum makes a louder, more interesting drink. Both belong on a card; they aren’t the same one.

Where people disagree

• 2 : 1 : ¾ or 2 : ¾ : ¾. The quarter ounce of extra lime is the difference between “bright” and “tart.” Most modern specs sit at 2 : 1 : ¾; a lot of people prefer the drier version once they’ve had it. This is the single most useful thing to test with a card: make both, write down which one you finished.
• Syrup strength. 1:1 simple at ¾ oz. If you keep 2:1 rich syrup for your Old Fashioneds, use ½ oz here instead.
• Ice. Some people shake with a single big cube for less dilution. It’s a real effect and a real argument; try it and note it.

Make it yours

The Daiquiri is the base for half the rum drinks you’ve heard of. Add ¼ oz maraschino and a splash of grapefruit and it’s a Hemingway. Swap the syrup for a flavoured one (honey, demerara, passion fruit) and it becomes a new card each time. Swap the rum for tequila and it is, essentially, a Margarita without the orange liqueur.

Because the ratio is the recipe, write it in the corner of the card in the shortest form you’ll read mid-shake: 2 / 1 / ¾.