The Daiquiri Cocktail – First Mixed with BACARDÍ® Rum – Celebrates 125 Years

This Daiquiri Day, family-owned Bacardi Limited raises a glass to celebrate the 125^th birthday of the cocktail, still loved around the world by bartenders and consumers for its versatile recipe and refreshing taste. With an origin story that begins in Cuba with BACARDĺ® rum, the Daiquiri cocktail remains one of the most sought after cocktails claiming the #2 spot on the Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report of 2023.

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According to records from The Bacardi Archives, the story of the Daiquiri begins in the late 1890s during the Golden Age of Cocktails when many classic cocktail recipes were first invented and the height of the Spanish-American War in Cuba led Americans to travel to the island for the first time. In 1898, American mining engineer Jennings S. Cox was stationed in the copper mines near the sweltering Sierra Maestra mountains of the small Cuban town named Daiquirí. Looking for a way to cool down on a hot summer day, Cox reached for three local ingredients – white sugar, fresh lime juice, and BACARDÍ Carta Blanca rum – to shake up alongside crushed ice to make a refreshing drink. His colleague F.D Pagliuchi later recounted witnessing Cox mix up what would be the first BACARDÍ Daiquiri cocktail in Santiago to local Cuban newspaper El País, describing how they both suggested a short name to honor the town where the delicious drink was born: Daiquiri.

Cox first showcased his recipe to bartenders at the American Club bar in Santiago de Cuba, eventually taking the drink to the best bars in the city and soon across Cuba. Ice cold and served in a delicate coup glass, something usually reserved for the finest of Champagnes, the Daiquiri soon became the epitome of sophisticated drinking and the quintessential Cuban cocktail. By 1910, young American Navy officer Lucious Johnson had famously introduced the Daiquiri cocktail to the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C. and soon after renowned Cuban bartender Constante Ribalaigua Vert introduced the frozen variation of the BACARDÍ Daiquiri to patrons at La Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba. With thousands of American tourists visiting the island of Cuba during Prohibition in the 1920s, the Daiquiri cocktail’s popularity spread to stratospheric new heights and its easily adaptable recipe expanded to include new variations that could be easily perfected by the at-home bartender.

“No cocktail is more synonymous with BACARDÍ rum than the Daiquiri,” states Rachel Guerin, Bacardi Heritage Curator. “One hundred years ago, the two were so closely associated that bar patrons ordering this delicious drink could simply ask for ‘a BACARDÍ Cocktail’ or even just ‘a BACARDÍ’ as depicted in BACARDÍ rum’s historic advertisement collection from the 20^th century.”

Though it wouldn’t be long before the Daiquiri cocktail was in such high demand that it became the cocktail behind a landmark consumer rights case in 1936. With the rise in popularity of BACARDÍ and rum cocktails after Prohibition ended in 1933, it was discovered that some bars and restaurants in New York City tried to take advantage of consumers by substituting lesser quality rums for BACARDÍ when they asked for BACARDÍ Cocktails by name. Seeking to protect its brand and the rights of its consumers, Bacardi took legal action against these bars and restaurants, and on April 28, 1936 the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court ultimately ruled to affirm “Beyond a reasonable doubt, subterfuge and a fraud is subjected on the purchaser when BACARDÍ rum is left out of a drink listed as a BACARDÍ Cocktail.” The decision was so significant to consumers that BACARDÍ featured the ruling alongside the Daiquiri cocktail in a series of print advertising and marketing campaigns from the late 1930s under the theme “Nothing Takes Place of BACARDÍ Rum”.

“When it comes to BACARDÍ cocktails, the very best always were – and still are today – made with BACARDÍ rum,” states Dickie Cullimore, Global Brand Ambassador for BACARDÍ rum. “The secret to the perfect Daiquiri is to never hold back on ice, and, if possible, use a mix of cubes and crushed ice when shaking to achieve the best dilution and balance in flavors. Discover your own favorite Daiquiri variation by starting with the classic BACARDÍ rum recipe and experimenting with new ingredients to open up a world of endless cocktail possibilities.”

Today, the legacy of the Daiquiri cocktail continues to shine around the world, inspiring new recipe variations and feelings of summer and celebration. Discover the official Daiquiri recipe at Bacardi.com.

BACARDÍ Daiquiri

2 oz BACARDÍ Superior / Carta Blanca rum
1 oz Fresh lime juice
2 tsp Extra fine sugar

Directions: Place sugar and freshly pressed lime juice into a cocktail shaker and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the BACARDÍ rum into the shaker and fill with half-cubed ice, followed by crushed ice. Place the lid on the shaker and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled and shaker is ice cold to the touch. Pour into a chilled coup glass and enjoy responsibly.

About Bacardi Limited

Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, PATRÓN® tequila, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, D’USSÉ® Cognac, ANGEL’S ENVY® American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.

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Contact information

Jessica Merz, VP Corporate Communications, jmerz@bacardi.com
Erika Lam, Director Brand PR, eklam@bacardi.com