Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

Confession, I love a great frozen strawberry daiquiri. A treat for sure, but at the right time, on a hot day in the summer or on a white sandy beach somewhere tropical, there is truly nothing better. Refreshing, fruity, and easy on the eyes, I feel relaxed just holding this indulgent old timer in my hand, even it it’s served in a disposable cup poolside. July 19th is actually National Daiquiri Day, not surprised it has its own day of recognition, this iconic drink has been around for ages.

In 1898 a mining engineer named Jennings Cox led a mining expedition in the small town of Daiquiri Cuba. There, Cox observed his co-workers mixing rum with coffee and began to experiment with his own version. Legend has it that’s when he created the world’s very first daiquiri. Daiquiris made their way to the United States around the early 1900s when Admiral Lucius W. Johnson brought a recipe to the Army & Navy Club in Washington, D.C.

Daiquiri comes in all sorts of flavors these days, the most famous being the Hemingway Daiquiri. This well-known favorite was said to have been developed in the early 1920’s when Ernest Hemingway was visiting Cuba. While there, Hemingway went to the Floridita Lounge. At Hemingway’s request, bartender Constantantio Ribalaigua created a daiquiri with double the rum, grapefruit, and lime juices with just a splash of maraschino cherry liqueur to sweeten it (because Hemingway was a diabetic) and thus the Hemiway Daiquiri was officially born.

Strawberry daiquiris only have a few simple ingredients in them, but there is a lot of room for error. I like mine very fruity and loaded with tartness so I add a good amount of fresh lemon and lime juice to balance the sweetness. The slushiness is critical as well and needs to balance the rum so the more chilled the better.

Being realistic, not many people will blend a batch of fresh daiquiris on a Wednesday evening, but this is a fun, festive drink for holidays and weekend BBQs with friends in the summer. As a bonus, they can also easily be made non-alcoholic for any non-drinkers or kiddos in your crew. Happy Fourth!