daiquiri

HBG’s Spiced Daiquiri

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Howdy y’all! As you’ve probably noticed from the photo, I didn’t make this drink at my Home Bar cause these days, I’m a busy lady! The beautiful backdrop for this drink is Duke’s Liquor Box in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where I work as “The Captain” several days a week.

Today I’m suuuuuuuper pumped to be talking about two totally delicious bottles from Ed Hamilton (aka the Minister of Rum) and how well they go together in this seasonally appropriate Daiquiri.

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Firstly, let’s talk Rum cause this IS a Daiquiri we’re making. Hamilton Navy Strength Rum, like the rest of Ed’s Rums is totally stellar. With a blend of Demerara Rum from Guyana and Jamaican Rum from Worthy Park, this 57% offering is a knockout. Huge nose and flavors offer both that fruity funk and a big deep body to support said funk. It’s epic, it’s my new fave Rum and it makes Smith & Cross seem anemic in comparison.

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As incredible as Hamilton Navy Strength is, Hamilton Pimento Dram is on a whole other level. It’s literally Jamaican Gold Rum from Worthy Park Estate + Pimento (aka Allspice) + Cane Sugar and it is the most complete thing I’ve ever tasted. I literally just want to drink it on the rocks all the time. Sublime, possibly perfect, it’s hard to say. Swooooooooon.

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Clearly these two are asking to go into a flavorful, funky, spiced drink together.

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Squeeze that lime gurrrrrrrrrl.

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HBG’s Spiced Daiquiri

  • 1 1/2 oz Hamilton Navy Strength Rum
  • 1/2 oz Hamilton Pimento Dram
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • A couple barspoons Granulated Cane Sugar or 1/4 oz Cane Sugar Syrup*
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Garnish: Lime Wheel and/or Nutmeg

Combine ingredients in shaker over ice and shake it like a rocket! Double strain into punch cup and garnish.

*Ok, so my gurrrrl Shannon (the Rum Queen of NYC) is always making her Daiquiris with Granulated Sugar instead of syrup. I thought I’d give it a try and I kind of dug it. It gave a nice texture to the drink and by not adding extra water (in the way of syrup) makes this Daiquiri feel more intact. Also, don’t go too heavy on the sugar or syrup cause you want the drink to be on the dry side.

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Easy peasy and ohmygod soooooo delicious. This Spiced Daiquiri would be perfect for all yer holiday parties cause of the spice. Ask your local liquor store to carry Hamilton Rums if they don’t already have them, you won’t be disappointed!

Cheers!

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The Birthday Daiquiri

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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Howdy y’all! It’s been a minute! How is everyone doing? Are we all collectively melting into a pool of sweat and heatstroke?

Last week was my Birfday and I had a fun filled week! It all started on Sunday when I decided I would “ring it in” with a couple of Daiquiri variations. I liked one of them enough to do a proper write up and so I present to you:

The Birthday Daiquiri!

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What’s so special about this Daiquiri that now it’s my Official Birthday Drink™? Just check the ingredients:

  1. Denizen Aged White Rum*: hands down the most used Rum in my Home Bar cause it’s totally flavorful and super versatile. I love this Rum. #TeamDenizen
  2. Apricot Liqueur + St. George Absinthe Verte: recently discovered this flavor combo and DAMNNNNNNN, it’s fabulous! Put these two in a drink and your mouth will rejoice!
  3. Lime and Cane Sugar syrup: cause it’s a Daiquiri and we’re keeping it classic

*Note, Denizen Aged White Rum has a brown label now. I’m still working through this bottle and will get the updated bottle soon.

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Pro Tip: I’ve put the Absinthe into a lil bottle with a dropper cause I’ve started adding it by the drop for more control.

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Why no garnish? Cause when shit is this delicious, you don’t need to add anything else!

The Birthday Daiquiri

  • 2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • 1/4 oz Rothman & Winter Apricot Liqueur
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz 1:1 Cane Sugar Syrup
  • 8 drops St. George Absinthe Vert
  • No Garnish

Combine ingredients and shake it like a rocket. Double strain into chilled coupe. Sip, smile, IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY NOW!

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If you’re an August baby like me and it really is your Birthday, Happy Happy to youuuu! Cheers!

Barb’s Rhubarb Daiquiri

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Oh my y’all. This drink. This one is just like “slurrrrrp”!

As you may or may not recall, I got some Rhubarb from the farmer’s market and made syrup with it. When I posted the photo to Instagram, a very nice man named mr.zsolt left an exciting comment, “I made a rhubarb daiquiri, my customers love it!”

RHUBARB DAIQUIRI! BRILLIANT!

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I mean, this syrup in a Daiquiri? Come on, how awesome would that be?

Also, look at the color. It’s like a jewel from the heart of a dragon…it’s like a a Ruby from the blood of 1000 Kings…it’s like the sun just before it disappears below the horizon…it’s really damn pretty.

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I asked Mr. Zsolt what his recipe was and he said 2:1:1 with Pampero Blanco. Well, I don’t have that Rum but I do have Denizen Aged White Rum (my fave) and all the grassy funky notes in it were sure to go well with Rhubarb.

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I also didn’t want to have quite as much juice as Mr. Zsolt, so I picked a different set of specs – 2:3/4:3/4. Since I used Barb’s Rhubarb Syrup, I named the Daiquiri after her.

Barb’s Rhubarb Daiquiri

Combine ingredients over ice and shake it like a rocket. Double strain into chilled Coupe.

*No garnish cause I was like, “Gurrrl, it’s perfect. How could anything improve this drink?” Well, maybe a dry Cava float…or maybe some of that amazing Amaro Sfumato Rababaro…that stuff is legit!

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This Daiquiri is really really great. I’m not gonna lie, I made it for my girlfriend and we were both like, “oh woooow.” It’s planty but not too planty, elegant, and really refrescando!

I hope y’all enjoy it as much as we do! Cheers!

Tiki The Snow Away Daiquiri

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It’s #NationalDaiquiriDay and I decided to feature this post because Havana Club 3 Year is basically THE Rum for Daiquiris! Cheers!

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Woo! The first week of Tiki The Snow Away is nearly over, so I thought we’d take a “shift break” and celebrate the weekend with a round of Daiquiris!

If you want to share a tropical drink during the month of January, use the hashtag #TikiTheSnowAway on Instagram and Twitter, or tag homebargirl on reddit.

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I’ll be using Havana Club 3 Años for my drink cause I brought it back from Mexico with the sole intent of making classic Daiquiris. Soon Havana Club will be coming to the USA under the brand Havanista and I will try to let everyone know as soon as I hear of its arrival!

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Here’s what you need: Your fave white Rum/Rhum/Cachaça, Cane Sugar Syrup/Simple Syrup, Lime Juice.

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I’m pretty pumped about this Lime wheel, I think I’ve finally achieved the perfect cut!

The following specs are typically my preferred way to have a Daiquiri. I like ’em rather tart, so if you know you don’t want to go as tart as I, use 2:3/4:3/4.

Home Bar Girl’s fave Daiquiri

  • 2 oz Havana Club 3 Años (sub your fave white Rum)
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Cane Sugar Syrup (sub Simple syrup)
  • Garnish: Lime wheel

Combine ingredients over ice and shake it like a rocket. Strain into chilled coupe, garnish with Lime wheel.

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Weekend Daiquiri cheers to all y’all! Keep the Tiki The Snow Away posts coming! I’ve been reposting a bunch on Instagram.

National Daiquiri Day with Brugal Extra Dry

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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Woo! Did y’all know that there is a National Daiquiri Day? Yessssssss there is and it’s today! Like we even needed an excuse to celebrate this most magnificent of Cocktails. Daiquiris have actually been my fave drink this summer and are always my go to for testing out Rums.

Well, today we’ll be making a few recipes with an excellent Rum for Daiquiris, Brugal Extra Dry.

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Brugal Extra Dry, you’re simply irresistible! So well dressed too. 

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My fave way to make a classic Daiquiri is in a 2:1:3/4 format cause I like things to be TART!

Brugal Extra Dry Daiquiri

  • 2 oz Brugal Extra Dry
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  • Garnish: Lime wheel

Combine ingredients over ice and shake like a rocket. Double strain into coupe and garnish.

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Next we’ll make a Pineapple Cinnamon Daiquiri cause why not? Right? Pineapple and Cinnamon go extremely well together in tart Rum filled cocktails. Add a lil Tiki umbrella and we’ve got a real crowd pleaser!

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Brugal Extra Dry Pineapple Cinnamon Daiquiri

  • 2 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 1/2 Cinnamon Bark Syrup*
  • Garnish: Pineapple + Tiki Umbrella

Combine ingredients over ice and shake it baby, shake it. Double strain into coupe. Garnish with Pineapple and a Tiki Umbrella.

*Cinnamon Bark Syrup

  • 1 oz or approx 0.06 lb Cinnamon Bark
  • 2 Cups of Water
  • 2 Cups of Sugar (Demerara used here)
  1. In sauce pan, muddle Cinnamon Bark until it is in shards.
  2. Add Sugar and Water and slowly bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes.
  4. Turn heat off and set sit for around 8 hours covered.
  5. Double strain into container. Smell it. Try not to drool.
  6. Keep in fridge.

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Lastly, we’re going into deep freeze mode for this Banana Ginger Daiquiri. Look at its creamy goodness, behold those cherries! Get excited!

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Quick note on this one: If you find that 1 1/2 oz Lime is too much, feel free to reduce it to 1 or 1 1/4. Remember, I like my Daiquiris tart!

Frozen Banana Ginger Daiquiri

  • 2 1/2 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
  • 1 1/2 oz Lime
  • 1 1/4 oz Ginger Syrup*
  • Around 1/2 a frozen Banana
  • 5-6 oz Ice
  • Garnish: Maraschino Cherries

Combine ingredients in blender and blend for just about 7 seconds, or until frothy but not too whipped. Pour into double rocks glass and garnish.

Ginger Syrup*

  • Approx 1 Cup of chopped ginger
  • 1 cup Turbinado Sugar
  • 1 cup of water
  1. Combine ingredients in saucepan and heat on lowwwwww until liquids begin to simmer.
  2. Try not to let boil, but simmer for around 30 mins.
  3. Turn off heat, let cool a bit and taste. If it’s gingery enough, let it sit in the pan for 8 hours covered.
  4. If not, turn the head back on lowwwww and simmer for another 20 mins, then repeat step 3.
  5. Fine strain syrup into container making sure to press the Ginger and extract as much goodness as possible.
  6. Keep in fridge.

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Well, that was tasty.

Thanks to Brugal for making the perfect Rum for all our National Daiquiri Day needs! Thanks to MBooth for the delicious Rum!

4th of July Daiquiri Party: Blue Daiquiri No. 2

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

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The 4th of July Daiquiri Party is in full swing on Instagram! If you want to submit a photo and recipe, use the hashtag #4thofJulyDaiquiriParty!

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Today’s Daiquiri is a Blue take on the classic Daiquiri No. 2 from the famous La Floridita Bar in Cuba. I love this Daiquiri, it’s supremely bright and refreshing with nice Orange flavours. I’m literally just subbing the Blue Curaçao for clear Curaçao, so there isn’t much variation here. The blue colour does make me want to get on a plane and go to a tropical island though!

Blue Daiquiri No. 2

  • 2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • Barspoon Senior Blue Curaçao
  • 3/4 oz fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
  • Barspoon fresh Orange Juice
  • Garnish: Orange wedge

Combine ingredients over ice and shake like a rocket! Strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with Orange wedge.

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Cheers to all of us on this 4th of July Holiday weekend!

4th of July Daiquiri Party

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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Happy 4th of July Weekend to everyone! I’ve been thinking about what I really want to drink/serve at my 4th of July party and honestly, I just want a Daiquiri! Daiquiri Prrrrrrrrrty!

If you want to join in the fun on Instagram and Twitter, use the hashtag #4thOfJulyDaiquiriParty.

That being said, “I just want a Daiquiri” means so many things to me, and there are many variations one can make by adding one or two ingredients to the Rum + Lime Juice + Sweetness formula. I mean, just by switching out the Rum itself or changing from refined sugar to turbinado sugar can have a profound effect on the flavours of the drink.

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First, let’s start with the basics. Flor de Caña 7 Year is my all time fave aged molasses Rum. It is viscous as hell, creamy, with caramel smoothness for DAYYYYYYYS. It will make the best damn Daiquiri you’ve ever had. No lie.

Flor de Caña 7 Year Aged Rum Daiquiri

  • 2 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Demerara Sugar Simple Syrup (1:1)
  • Garnish: Lime Wheel

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into coupe and garnish with Lime Wheel.

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Now that we’ve got a nice basic Daiquiri down, we can get a little more creative. For this one, we’re going to use a funky Rum from Jamaica that has been aged in the UK: Smith & Cross Navy Strength Rum. Our sweetners are going to get more complex with the addition of Falernum and some of my patented (I wish! Soon!) DD Mix. The spice set will come from the funkiness of the Smith & Cross, DD Mix, and one dropper of Bittermen’s Elemakule Tiki Bitters. Highly recommend these bitter’s y’all!

DP Daiquiri

  • 1 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
  • 1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
  • 1/4 oz DD Mix
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 1 dropper Bittermen’s Elemakule Tiki Bitters
  • Garnish: hollowed out Lime half*

In tin combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Pour entire contents of shaker into mason jar. Garnish with one of the Lime halves you used when you juiced the Lime.

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For this next one we’re going to go to the books and use a totally fabulous recipe from the 1970’s, Don’s Special Daiquiri. This variation was created to commemorate Don the Beachcomber and use his 1934 Daiquiri recipe while adding a couple of modifiers. I altered the recipe a tad because I felt it needed to be a bit more tart.

Don’s Special Daiquiri

  • 1 oz Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
  • 3/4 oz Aged White Rum (Denizen Aged Rum)
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
  • Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

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Lastly, we’re going to use three different Spirits in a Daiquiri that I named after my family. It uses two kinds of Rum and one of my all time favourite infusions, Pineapple Plymouth Gin.

DeLuna Daiquiri

  • 1 1/2 oz Denizen White Rum
  • 1/2 oz Flor de Caña 7 Rum
  • 1/4 oz Pineapple infused Plymouth Gin
  • 1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
  • 1/4 oz Cinnamon Bark Syrup
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • Garnish: Pineapple Chunks

Combine ingredients in over ice and shake. Strain into coupe. Garnish with Pineapple.

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Well, that’s it for this roundup. If you’re looking for more recipes, you could always try Or-zah Gabor or a classic Hemingway Daiquiri. Happy Independence Day USA!

#RumForTheHills: Or-zah Gabor

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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Y’all, for real, this might be the greatest name of all time for a Daiquiri variation and I didn’t come up with it! My friend Eleni Crush and I were talking about the wonders of Orgeat and she said, “Orgeat Gabor would be a great name for a cocktail.” It stopped my heart! So perfect! We decided to change the spelling to “Or-zah” and I started searching for the right ingredients.

Now, the thing about Orgeats is that they all taste differently. BG Reynolds’ Orgeat is a tad toasty and not quite as sweet as some of the other ones I’ve tasted. You will probably have to adjust the ratios of the drink depending on the Orgeat you have. For example, I was working on this drink with KJ Williams at Flatiron Lounge and they use a homemade Orgeat. We totally had to toss the Falernum and decrease the Lime because their Orgeat was sweeter than mine.

Fair Warning: this drink will knock you on your ass, Navy Strength Rum is no joke. 🙂

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Or-zah Gabor

  • 1 3/4 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum
  • 1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
  • 3/4 oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • No Garnish

Combine ingredients over ice and vigorously shake until your body feels like a thunderclap. (jkjkjk, don’t give yourself a heart attack.) Double strain into coupe. Sip slowly and dream of sunny days and fabulous times.

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You will want to guzzle this Daiquiri, don’t do it! I want you to live!

Don’t forget to join in the Rum fun with #RumForTheHills on Instagram. 

#RumForTheHills: Don’s Special Daiquiri

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

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A few of us on Instagram have started a #RumForTheHills hashtag and so I thought I’d start with a really fabulous Daiquiri recipe from the 1970s. I got this recipe from the Beachbum Berry Total Tiki app and it’s a knock out! If you don’t have this app (or one of his books) you need to get on it!

This Daiquiri is a version of Don the Beachcomber’s 1934 Mona Daiquiri. Now, of course I made a couple of modifications, namely, 1/4 oz more lime juice and 1/4 oz more Rum cause I like my Daiquiris tart and boozy.

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Don’s Special Daiquiri

  • 1 oz Jamaican Rum (Smith & Cross)
  • 3/4 oz Aged White Rum (Denizen Aged Rum)
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
  • Garnish: Maraschino Cherry

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

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Hope you enjoy and if you wanna join in the party, use #RumForTheHills on Instagram!