Shake, Shake, Shake That Cocktail

Today is National Daiquiri Day! Hooray! The very first Daiquiris are not what we think of as today’s Daiquiri. It was served in a tall glass filled with cracked ice (as in chiseled off a block of ice). A teaspoon of sugar was sprinkled over the ice, followed by the juice of a lime or two. Add three ounces of white rum and stir with a long-handled spoon. That’s all there was to it.

Today a traditional Daiquiri is mixed in a shaker with the same ingredients, then it is poured into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Although these days many a bar offers up a fruit-laced rendition of a Daiquiri, made in a blender with things like strawberries, peaches or pineapples. It often looks more like a slushy with an umbrella on top and lacks that one-two punch of the original.

While we may never know the true orgins of the Daiquiri, the drink grew in popularity during the 1940s thanks in part to the rationing of whiskey and vodka. Rum was easily had as a result of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy, opening trade and travel between the US and its Latin neighbors including Cuba and the Caribbean. Prior to the Pan-American trades, rum based drinks were considered to be the drink of sailors and skid row drunks. After the Pan-American deal, all things Latin-America suddenly became fashionable, including the Daiquiri.

There are times when I feel out of step with the world. My favorite movies are stories about life during the 1940s. If it weren’t for the fact that people would find it strange, I’d dress like the 40s. I love hats. I love clutch purses. I love that women were strong yet feminine.

Hollywood was glamorous – made up of fairy dust and dreams. Movies were a way to escape. While stars might not have been who they seemed to be behind closed doors, their public image was to be admired. They presented a strong moral code and a sense of right from wrong. To this day I admire people like Lauren Bacall and Maureen O’Hara (who was one amazing lady yet she could hold her own in the boys club). Cary Grant was about as sexy as they came, and Jimmy Stewart stood for everything pure and good.

I raise my glass to what once was. Pandora’s box has been opened. That time of innocence can never be again. Just because we drink a little rum doesn’t mean we need to sell our souls to the devil.

The Classic Daiquiri
Ice Cubes
2 oz White Rum
1 oz fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup or to taste
1 Lime, garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add white rum, some fresh lime juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for about 15 to 20 seconds.

Strain cocktail into a coup or martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lime, serve and enjoy.

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God reconciled the world to Himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us with the message of reconciliation