Kick back, relax, and enjoy the best daiquiri recipe ever!
I drink mostly beer, wine, and straight whiskey on the rocks, but I do have a soft spot for some of the tried and true classic cocktails. To me a martini is gin, vermouth, and an olive with pimento. If I’m feeling crazy, I might have two olives. But not vodka, no anchovy or blue cheese, and certainly no chocolate or mint. I’m clearly stuck in the 20th century. But I am not alone.
John Mariani, Esquire Magazine’s famous and infamous “restaurant guy” (he says he is not a critic), is regarded as picky, particular, and supremely knowledgeable. His reviews can put a struggling chef on the map and a declining business back on track. Likewise, an offhand snipe can put a restaurant under. He is powerful.
Mariani knows his wine, but he loves daiquiris, and he laments that, as simple as it is, so many bartenders louse it up. So he put the classic recipe on the back of his business card and gives it to his wait person when he orders a daiquiri. This does not endear him to bartenders, but it gets him a proper daiquiri. The daiquiri is a classic Puerto Rican rum creation, perfect for hot summer days and any BBQ and grilling cookout. Here’s the recipe from the back of restaurant critic John Mariani’s business card. The italics are his.


John Mariani’s Daiquiri Recipe
Method
- Prep. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice.
- Optional. Mariani would not approve, but I like to rim the glass with sugar. To do it, pour an ounce of sugar in the outer circle of a coffee saucer and spread it evenly. With a clean finger, dip it into water or the shaker and run it around the rim of the glass and then place the rim in the sugwar.
- Serve. Strain into Martini glass and enjoy!