One of the best drinks to partake in during the summer months is the Daiquiri. Offered in a variety of flavors and a staple of many pool parties, the drink has amassed well-deserved popularity, to say the least. But what are the origins of this wonderful beverage? How did it come into existence? We’re about to find out, so come with us as we explore this most revered cocktail. 

Humble Beginnings 

Although rum has been long associated with the Caribbean, it was the British Navy that developed the first daiquiri out of necessity. During the 1700s, sailors in the British Navy were rationed one gallon of beer a day, but the cost and logistics of such a feat were proving to be difficult. Therefore, the Navy began giving sailors a pint of rum as a substitute for their daily ration. While this proved to be more economical, many sailors ended up too drunk to carry out their tasks. Then in 1740, the ration of rum was mixed with water and lime to dilute the alcohol. The Daiquiri was born. 

American Involvement 

In the late 1800s, American interests turned to the Caribbean during a conflict now known as the Spanish-American war. When American troops went to Cuba to occupy the territory to allow Cba to declare independence, they landed upon a beach named Daiquiri. After Cuba gained its independence, American business owners were quick to take advantage of the geographic location and its plentiful resources. 

Iron tycoon Jennings Cox was credited with further developing the daiquiri on an evening when he and his guests were out of gin and needed a quick replacement. Cox threw together a concoction that consisted of rum, lemon, sugar, and water. It was a concoction that was soon named “the daiquiri” after the beach that first saw American intervention. 

However, it was because of two American writers that the daiquiri truly gained immense popularity. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald made mention of the drink throughout their respective writings, and readers in the United States were all too eager to sample this tropical concoction. 

It Takes More Than an Embargo to Stop the Flavor 

Before power was seized by Fidel Castro during the communist takeover of Cuba, Havana was crawling with casinos and several visitors to the island discovered the island’s best-kept secret. Even after an embargo was placed upon the country in the late 1950s, the daiquiri remained popular and continues to be the perfect summer drink. 

Costa Verde 

You do not need a passport to enjoy a daiquiri, just a valid ID. Feel free to sample one at any of Costa Verde’s locations. For more info on our businesses, visit costaverdelongisland.com.

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