A Post Revisited: Why is the Classic Daiquiri so Hard to Find in the Upper Midwest?

A recent spate of Facebook postings about "classic" drinks got me thinking about how frustrated I am whenever I order a daiquiri. I rarely drink them in winter, but I might. I might. 

So why not share a true classic with you, just in time for the holidays. Because lime is great anytime of year.

From 2008:


My mother always told me the daiquiri was the classic ladylike drink for summer.

I took that to heart, and for years the daiquiri was my favorite summer drink. It fell out of fashion for a year or so when I favored rum and coke and receded some years later when I discovered sangria.

But like an old friend, the daiquiri keeps coming back and no birthday is complete for me without a daiquiri.

Only I've found the classic daiquiri is getting hard to find. These days when you order one, you are generally asked what flavor.

Classic, please, I respond. The bartender stares at me.

"I want a plain daiquiri. You know, one made with lime," I say.

The bartender consults with a coworker and eventually I get something approximating a classic daiquiri. Often it misses the mark.

The Purist's Daiquiri

• 1 1/2 oz light rum
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tsp powdered sugar

Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain. Pour.

It doesn't get any easier.

Yeas ago, a boyfriend asked me if I wanted a banana daiquiri. No thanks, I said. I tried a strawberry daiquiri once. Never again.

Thank goodness I married a purist.

Postscript (2013): Two years ago I finally had my second strawberry daiquiri. It was spring and I was feeling open minded. Not bad, but no classic.

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