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Daiquiri (Difford's recipe)
Crisp, light and refreshing. Delicately simple yet with perfectly balanced complexity of flavours. For an even better Daiquiri: In place of sugar...
1st May at 22:14
What an odd way to try to dump on American daiquiris.
2nd February at 21:03
simon this is excellent. thank you.
25th December 2025 at 15:14
Why does the Difford's Daiquiri Bitters page say to use 4 drops in a natural daiquiri but this recipe calls for 8?
2nd February at 21:00
happy xmas troy
25th December 2025 at 16:59
So good that 4 is just not enough! I'll be sure to fix.
22nd August 2025 at 19:36
Just made this with my new bottle of Bacardi Heritage and Bob's (Difford's) Daiquiri Bitters - for disclosure I used powdered sugar.
That extra 3.5% might be all in my head but pretty sure that's the best white rum daiquiri I've had.
May have to do a side by side - such are the struggles in life :).
That extra 3.5% might be all in my head but pretty sure that's the best white rum daiquiri I've had.
May have to do a side by side - such are the struggles in life :).
1st August 2025 at 15:40
Excellent recipe, but to make it perfect add 5ml Green Chartreuse
8th November 2025 at 21:24
I added a few drops of Green Chartreuse to my half finished Daiquiri after reading this. I will definetly add this the next time I make one. Thanks for the inspiration.
20th July 2025 at 12:30
My all-time favourite. We call this Tchaikovsky's Daiquiri, as when you apply your 20% scaling for 60ml of rum, you need 1812 lime to sugar…. The perfect overture! Incidentally we ran out of our usual rum and could only get a bottle of M&S Jamaican white - which was surprisingly good in this.
19th July 2025 at 20:33
Made this ratio today, starting with 60ml of Koloa white rum. It really is a wonderful ratio for the daiquiri. I think I got a good dilution since it's rather warm here so the ice melted well during the vigorous shake, plus I did a quick simple syrup which was warm and helped melt the ice more.
I only see the Koloa coconut rum listed on this site, but they do have white, golden, spiced and dark rum options. Though, so far my favorite white rum is a Florida based one called Florapina. Not reviewed here, but it's inexpensive for those based in the USA that can find it and for the price point it is magnificent.
I only see the Koloa coconut rum listed on this site, but they do have white, golden, spiced and dark rum options. Though, so far my favorite white rum is a Florida based one called Florapina. Not reviewed here, but it's inexpensive for those based in the USA that can find it and for the price point it is magnificent.
19th July 2025 at 13:10
I prefer darker rums in my Daiquiri. My current recipe is a riff on the Smuggler's Cove Daiquiri #1:
1.5 oz Appleton Signature Rum
0.5 oz Hamilton 151 Overproof Rum
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
0.5 oz 2:1 Demerara Syrup
I could drink this cocktail exclusively for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.
1.5 oz Appleton Signature Rum
0.5 oz Hamilton 151 Overproof Rum
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
0.5 oz 2:1 Demerara Syrup
I could drink this cocktail exclusively for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.
8th July 2025 at 14:33
I've made this recipe dozens of times now, and agree it's possibly the best cocktail ever when perfect. But when I use ground sugar instead of Monin syrup it often doesn't come out perfect.
With ground sugar the sweetness tastes technically correct and the customers (my friends) are happy, but to me it lacks this zingy brightness on the tongue that it has when I use Monin syrup and a dash of water.
To put it another way: why does the recipe say to use ground sugar – then add chilled water? This seems contradictory.
With ground sugar the sweetness tastes technically correct and the customers (my friends) are happy, but to me it lacks this zingy brightness on the tongue that it has when I use Monin syrup and a dash of water.
To put it another way: why does the recipe say to use ground sugar – then add chilled water? This seems contradictory.
9th July 2025 at 17:05
I tend to add a little more water with powdered sugar. It sounds like your powdered sugar is not fully stirred to dissolve before shaking. Sugar syrup is much easier and more consistent!
30th August 2024 at 20:20
8:3:2 with plantation 3 stars. I’m in heaven.
19th July 2025 at 16:22
Plantation 3-Star is my go-to rum, too. My favorite ratio is 12:6:1, the sugar being replaced by agave syrup, which is Mexican, I know, but it surely works with limes in Margaritas, so it’s a natural, in my opinion. We like them (both Margs and Daqs) sour, so sweeten to taste, but 3-Star is great!
23rd July 2024 at 02:53
Wonderful balance, but a tough ratio to remember and then figure out how to convert into measurements (at least for those of us not using metric). Great proportions of citrus and sweetness - if you want to taste the rum use something bold, if not use a mild-mannered white rum.
7th June 2024 at 04:29
The drink of drinks.
4th January 2024 at 23:22
One of the greatest simple cocktails out there, and it's easy to vary with different rums, demerara syrup, bitters and other additions without spoiling it. The classic one can elevate a cheap rum or highlight an expensive one.
28th May 2023 at 11:24
Replacing the white rum based on molasses with an overproof agricultural rum from Martinique/Guadeloupe/Reunion adds a whole new olfactory dimension and creates something between a daiquiri and a ti'punch, a daipunch or a tiquiri! Give it a try!
18th March 2023 at 21:53
Just perfect.
27th October 2022 at 19:22
Simon…i had the privilege of a chat a month or two ago regarding a shaker I bought…great customer service and lovely advice on Rum. Just made with this blend having tried maybe 20 clear rum comparisons in last 6 months (?) and your recipe is the best…of course…thank you. Nothing beats a daiquiri. Full stop.!
28th October 2022 at 07:29
Many thanks, Dan. Agreed. Nothing beats a good Daiquiri!
23rd August 2022 at 06:09
Nice!
Added 12 drops of bobs daiquiri bitters. Recommends 8, thought I’d push it a bit. Really nice. Sour, nice bit of sweetness. Australian Beenleigh 3yr white rum. Superb
Added 12 drops of bobs daiquiri bitters. Recommends 8, thought I’d push it a bit. Really nice. Sour, nice bit of sweetness. Australian Beenleigh 3yr white rum. Superb
24th July 2022 at 17:33
I tweaked this slightly to be a 3:1:1 and it was magical. Not even using the best ingredients it was wonderfully balanced. Excellent
20th July 2022 at 01:32
Perfect daiquiri. Refreshing and simple to make. Key here is quality ingredients. Perfect for National Daiquiri Day.
19th June 2022 at 19:17
Oooh Chanel your inner Ernest Hemingway (we’ve all got one) with this one. Bull fighting optional.
A classic
A classic
11th May 2022 at 18:16
Perfect with sugar syrup made from golden cane sugar. 8:3:2 is my preferred ratio.
8th October 2024 at 21:57
4:2:1 or 5:2:1 is now my favorite ratio. 8:3:2 was too sweet. I don't normally like a full 30ml of lime juice in my drinks, though with the sweetness of white rum it really works.
18th November 2021 at 17:06
If not making this with powdered sugar I've found that Gum syrup just gives that extra something over a sugar syrup and works really well this. Going further, even half-substituted for 5ml of Luxardo as in the Frozen Daiquiri found on this website seems to work very agreeably with this straight-up version without taking off the edge.
27th October 2020 at 14:22
What's the (theoretical) advantage of powdered sugar? It will dissolve entirely on shaking, making it no different to the syrup won't it?
29th October 2020 at 09:06
Hi Andrew. Please follow the link "Daiquiri info, including variants, history and best recipes" above. On that page, I've written at length about the use of different sugars in a Daiquiri.
20th October 2020 at 21:09
Powdered sugar is definitely worth the effort, as is investing in the bitters! Tweaked the ratio, 5:2:1, using Havana Club 3 Year Old. Delicious and definitely a 5+ in my book.
11th October 2020 at 01:44
A dash or two of Angostura bitters is a great addition.
13th August 2020 at 19:05
Tried the 6:2:1 which was good but for a twist, knocking the rum back to 50 and adding 10ml of marachino is a great variant
20th June 2020 at 00:02
Straight up delicious with artisanal white rum. I taste tested the caster sugar versus simple syrup version and preferred the latter.
20th June 2020 at 08:32
Tis indeed a delicious cocktail and much easier with sugar syrup.
If I'd have couple of standard American daiquiries with 30 ml of lime juice, I'd have have very acid stomach, irritated mouth and mainly I wouldn't feel any flavour of the spirit! Who wants to drink a cordial with rum?