Story by 2024 Australian Bartender of the Year, Joey Folkersma, who is the Bar Manager at Bar Kokomo in Darwin.
It is mid-January, summer is in full swing, and whether you are down south in Sydney or up north in Darwin, it’s hot.
What better time to discuss my favourite summer cocktail: the Daiquiri?
Some say Jennings Cox ran out of gin at his barbecue and replaced it with white rum (Bacardi Blanca at the time). Others argue he didn’t have the right ingredients for a Canchánchara, a local concoction of aguardiente de caña, lime, and honey. So, Jennings “Mr. Potato-Headed” the drink and came up with the Daiquiri. However this American engineer created it, we’re happy he did!
It wasn’t until Constantino Ribalaigua Vert perfected the Daiquiri at La Floridita bar in Cuba that its popularity took off, thanks to a certain famous writer by the name of Ernest Hemingway. The “cocktail king of Cuba” was a pioneer in using a blender and came up with the first blended Daiquiri. Luckily, we now have slushie machines, and a good frozen Daiquiri is bloody delicious while floating in a pool.
Constantino went further on his journey to perfect the Daiquiri, and one of his many creations was the Daiquiri #3: rum, Maraschino liqueur, grapefruit juice, sugar, and lime.
 
This recipe eventually evolved into the “Papa Doble”—Hemingway’s version, with double the rum and no sweetener (Hemingway was diabetic). Unless you like your drink unbalanced and on the sour side, I can’t recommend it. Let’s just say his writing was better than his flavour profile.
Ingredients:
50 mL Spanish-style white rum
10 mL Maraschino liqueur
15 mL grapefruit oleo
30 mL fresh lime juice
My favourite Daiquiri is a #3 with a little adjustment. For me, it starts with a good white, Spanish-style rum. To each their own, but I like my base spirit with a bit of character, so I use Havana Club 3-Year-Old. It has a slight oaky-ness that pairs well with the grapefruit.
My sweetener is a 2:1 grapefruit oleo, and I only use 10 mL because the Maraschino liqueur adds its own sweetness. Fresh lime juice is a must, and last but not least, the worst-kept secret in bartending: a bit of grapefruit peel in the shaker. It adds an extra hint of bitterness and a fresh, zesty aroma to the Daiquiri.
“This recipe eventually evolved into the “Papa Doble”—Hemingway’s version, with double the rum and no sweetener (Hemingway was diabetic). Unless you like your drink unbalanced and on the sour side, I can’t recommend it. Let’s just say his writing was better than his flavour profile.”
Add all the ingredients into a shaker, including a grapefruit peel (ensure there’s no pith). Fine strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
The Daiquiri, in general, is the ultimate summer drink for me because it’s so easy to adjust. Its ratio of 60-30-20 (with a 2:1 syrup) lends itself perfectly to creating a “Mr. Potato Head” cocktail. In any speed-round mystery box competition, I always start with this ratio and adjust for balance. I’ve made “Daiquiris” with vermouth and bitter aperitifs—the latest was with Monkey Shoulder. Add any piece of fruit to the tin for a twist, and voila!
