Timeless Daiquiri

TIMELESS DAIQUIRI

text Yiota Mallas

photography Jo Michaelides

Whether it’s simply shaken or a fruity blend, the daiquiri represents summer with every sip. We trace the story of this rum creation from Caribbean secret to beloved beverage worldwide.

Andria Vladimirou, the only woman behind the Vista Bar,will help you identify your preferredsummer blend.

© LOUCA STUDIOS

Hemingway is said to have breezed through fifteen rounds in one sitting, while F Scott Fitzgerald was the first novelist to record the drink, and John F Kennedy sipped daiquiris at highbrow functions. Yet despite its avid and persistent following, the daiquiri has often been disregarded as a respectable frozen blender drink. Such indifference, however, is undeserved; mixed by knowing hands, the classic and its modern twists certainly justify their presence on any cocktail menu. At the Four Seasons’ Vista bar, you can rest assured that these shaker creations are a far cry from the syrupy slush of tourist traps.

Classic The original Cuban export is a classic concoction with a balance of sugar andlime creating the quintessential rumenhancer. It’s simple, refreshing andinfinitely versatile.Four Seasons Portrait

The original daiquiri – a trio of rum, lime and sugar – is unbeatable in its balanced simplicity, which matches its humble origins at the turn of the last century. Daiquiri is the name of a beach in Cuba, where in 1896, an American engineer named Jennings Cox is believed to have conjured up the famous medley of ingredients. At a party he was hosting, he ran out of gin and opted instead for rum, which was plentiful in Cuba – as were limes and brown sugar – and the combination was later discovered on a recipe card with his handwriting.

Raspberry A fruit that always lends full flavour to whatever drink it is muddled in. Hints of chocolate, coffee and caramel in any premium rum seep through the rich, intense flavours of fresh raspberries, boosted by raspberry syrup.

Passion Fruit A tale of the tropics on your palate as rum meets Caribbean fruit. Liqueur, syrup, purée and the seeds of passion fruit join forces to create an explosion of tangy zesty notes.

With the sizzling heat governing Cuba’s nightlife scene, it was only a matter of time before a bartender at Havana’s ‘Floritidita’ bar added shaved ice to the ingredients and whisked it all in the blender. Thus, the frozen daiquiri was born in the late 1920s and the coupe glass became the new trend in stemware.

At the Four Seasons, the daiquiri’s popularity followed a similar pattern. “The classic mix was a favourite when the hotel first opened, but in the 2000s, cocktails began to become more experimental and adventurous with the addition of crushed ice and fruits to mixology,” explains Michalis Antoniou, from the Vista team. But the tide turned again, and over the past ten years, frozen daiquiris have decisively taken centre stage. “We make the most of any fresh fruit available and suggest different combinations to our guests,” says Michalis. The Vista team has presented a rainbow of coloured cocktails over the years, with strawberries, pineapple, banana, mango, and peach among the many seasonally changing flavours.

Daiquiri remains the iconic symbol of exotic tropical climes, and for many, it complements any occasion beside a body of water, be it beach or pool. The original recipe has an unrivalled purity and clarity of flavour, but its fruity varieties are equally irresistible to all taste buds. It’s easy to get distracted by the deluge of fancy new cocktails, but a daiquiri has earned its place as a timeless celebration of summer.