The Best Daiquiris and Friends for Your Warm-Weather Drinking Needs

Paula Forbes
Updated
When the weather hits the 60-degree mark, it's daiquiri time. Here's how to keep yours interesting.

The classic daiquiri is having a moment. Long a favorite of bartenders, this combination of lime, simple syrup, and rum is popping up all over the place lately, and for good reason: it's one of the most refreshing, simplest classic cocktails out there, and it's just as satisfying on a summertime patio as it is in the last throes of winter. We asked bartenders across the country how they put a personal spin on the classic, and boy, did they have a lot of opinions.

Don’t touch it
If it ain’t broke.....you know the rest. “The daiquiri is a timeless drink because of its simplicity,” says Ryan Andrews of Prohibition in San Diego, who uses it as a benchmark when hiring new bartenders. “There are some cocktails that you shouldn’t mess with, and the classic daiquiri is one of those drinks.” Milos Stevanovic of Chicago’s Virgin Hotels agrees: “I'm not a big fan of updating classics because classics have been around forever—they're delicious as is.”

Do the Hemingway
This is a classic variation on the daiquiri, and it’s popular for a reason. “The substitution of grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur is refreshing and light.” Even lighter? The Hemingway Spritz at Quality Eats in New York, which Bryan Schneider calls “A real crowd pleaser—a classic Hemingway Daiquiri topped with prosecco.”

Switch up the rum
“The classic Daiquiri is a perfect cocktail,” says Adam Demerath of Upland (https://www.uplandnyc.com) in New York. “But if I ever want to make any changes to it, I always start with the rum.” He recommends “my favorite rum on the planet,” Smith and Cross, calling it “an agressive Jamaican molasses rum.” Danielle Lewis of GT Fish & Oyster in Chicago adds that “Agricole rum, made from can juice as opposed to molasses, is super fresh and complex. It gives a daiquiri a little edge, in the best way.” Looking to spice things up? Rob Sperry-Fromm of Freedman’s in LA has an idea for you: “Use Sailor Jerry. Every drink is better with Sailor Jerry.”

Infuse it
“Amaro daiquiris are my favorite,” says Brian Heese of Monarch Prime & Bar in Omaha. “They posess the ability to garner different complexities from your amari of choice.” He recommends substituting the rum in the traditional daiquiri for Amaro di Angostura.

For a slightly more traditional take, Marissa Barlow of Cold Storage in Chicago infuses her rum “with dried ingredients like tea or dried fruits...It brings a concentration of flavor through a relatively simple process.” She’s currently serving a daiquiri infused with jasmine pearl tea and blue pea flower.