Let's try some sweet and sour...

This week it’s over to the Daiquiri, which is quite a different sort of cocktail compared to the the Martini of last week. Daiquiris are refreshing, involving a mixture of something sweet added to the spirit and citrus. This allows for the alcohol 'hit' to be toned down a little bit compared to last week’s Martinis.

Originally, the daiquiri is seen as a showcase for rum - but as you are hopefully seeing, by knowing a cocktail template, this awareness allows for us to substitute the main spirit and constituents with other options to create variation and originality.

Making cocktails using a template means

the ingredients fit together

An original daiquiri recipe goes along the line of:

2 measures of rum

¾ measure of fresh lime juice

¾ measure of simple syrup

1 x Lime wedge garnish

Different rums can be used to make up the “2 measures” bit of the recipe and this allows for a vast array of variations on the theme. In some ways it’s a 'sweet and sour' cocktail - but the secret appears to lie in the ability to balance the two. Too much citrus - especially lime - will result in a very tart drink but too much sugar will flood the glass with a sickly sweet option that is equally unbalanced.

Spirit

Rum is a spirit that comes in a cast array of forms - Spanish / English / Jamaican / French options go to show the variety out there. There is also the light rums through to the aged rums. What a spectrum!