The basic core recipe to creating a classic daiquiri uses fruit purées combined with the traditional rum, sugar and lime.

We’re bringing back the Glossary of Color cocktails with these rainbow daiquiris! The daiquiri is, dare we say, perfect.

But sometimes I like to dress it up with fruit while still maintaining the balance of sweet and tart that makes this classic cocktail sing.

I, Ashley created 5 different rainbow daiquiris for year-round sipping of strawberry, mango, pineapple, kiwi, and blackberry flavors.

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What is a Daiquiri?

The traditional daiquiri is a cocktail created at the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba.

It’s actually the name of a beach and iron mine near Santiago de Cuba. The daiquiri was supposedly invented by a mining engineer living there.

A classic daiquiri is simple blend of white rum, lime and sugar.

These three main components create a harmonious cocktail that has become a long standing classic.

History of the Cocktail

There are several tales that attempt to account for the creation of this famous cocktail, but it is generally accepted that its origins lie in Cuba.

According to legend, the daiquiri was born in Cuba by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox at a place called Daiquiri near Santiago.

While having a party he ran out of gin and began mixing a Bacardi rum blend with sugar and fresh lime juice instead.

The name “Daiquiri” refers to the beach adjacent to the beach where it’s said that he first mixed the drink.

How to Make a Classic Daiquiri

Add all ingredients (fruit purée, white rum, lime juice and simple syrup) into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake rigorously and double strain the mixture into a fine mesh strainer. Once the solids are moved, pour the drink into a coupe.

Garnish the cocktail.

We have some fun ideas below for each of the strawberry, mango, pineapple, kiwi, and blackberry daiquiris!

A popular way to serve this cocktail is frozen with a smoothie-like texture.

If you want to make a frozen daiquiri, simply combine the ingredients in the blender and fill with ice.

The Base Recipe for A Classic Daiquiri

To create this rainbow of potent potables, I came up with one base recipe using fruit purées combined with the traditional rum, lime juice and sugar.

You can swap in any of the fruits you want into the recipe based on your mood. I’m usually feeling like a blackberry daiquiri for Happy Hour!

Strawberry daiquiri? Pineapple kiwi daiquiri anyone?! Once you got the recipe base down, you can get as creative as you like!

You can even do 1 1/2 tablespoon of one fruit purée and 1 1/2 tablespoon of another purée to make your own custom cocktail.

Can I Use Frozen Fruit to Make a Daiquiri?

Fresh strawberries versus frozen strawberries? I highly recommend always using fresh produce for cocktails as you would for cooking.

However, you can definitely opt for frozen fruits. Using frozen fruit is more affordable and convenient. It also saves you the time and the hassle from prepping and cutting.

Keep in mind that fresh fruit blends quicker than frozen fruit. So just make sure get the frozen fruit to a smooth texture in the blender.

However, for presentation purposes, using fresh fruit for garnishing is always best.

Why Using Fresh Lime Juice for Cocktails is Best

Fresh lime versus bottled lime juice?

Though I mentioned that frozen fruit was okay to use in a daiquiri, opt for the fresh lime instead of the store-brought lime juice.

You can either use a citrus juicer or even your own hands to get your fresh lime juice.

The reason we recommend fresh juice is because the fresh oils from the lime brings more zing. And that zing gives a bit of sour richness to the daiquiri.

Substitutes for Simple Syrup

The daiquiri recipe calls for 1/2 oz of simple syrup. Simple syrup is essentially one part sugar and one part water.

I prefer using simple syrup as a sweetener in cocktail recipes because simple syrup more easily dissolves and mixes.

You can make it yourself by first boiling water and then adding in the sugar. Our homemade simple syrup recipe posts dives into more details and variations.

Or you can purchase it pre-made. Either way, it goods to have a batch on hand since it’s a common cocktail ingredient.

You can also substitute the simple syrup for agave nectar, ginger ale, cane sugar, molasses or even honey syrup.

Pure granulated sugar is also an option.

Just be sure to use 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar for every 1/2 oz of simple syrup.

How to Make the Fruit Purée for a Daiquiri

Making fruit purée is easy! Be sure to add enough of each fruit to at least cover the blades of the blender. Then, blend until smooth.

If you don’t have a blender, you can also use a food processor to make your fruit purée. This is an ideal tool if you only want to make a small batch.

Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice if needed to help blend better.

Store any leftover fruit purée in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days for additional rum cocktails.

Here our my different rainbow flavors —

Red Strawberry Daiquiri – Cut off the green tops of the strawberries. Slice in half. Blend until smooth in the blender.
Orange Mango Daiquiri – Cut mango, avoiding the pit. Scoop the flesh from peel. Blend until smooth in the blender.
Yellow Pineapple Daiquiri – Peel and core pineapple. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Blend until smooth in the blender.
Green Kiwi Daiquiri – Cut off both ends of the kiwi. Taking a spoon along the inside of the skin to loosen and scoop out the flesh.
Blue Blackberry Daiquiri – Add blackberries into the blender, and blend until smooth.

Best Rum for a Daiquiri

For this classic daiquiri recipe, you’ll need white rum.

This is an important distinction to make, as any dark rum will overwhelm the other flavors in the cocktail.

The best rum for a daiquiri is clean and dry, allowing it to support the tartness of lime juice and sweetness of sugar without adding too much character on its own.

Different Ways to Garnish a Daiquiri

Garnishing is my favorite part to dress up a cocktail! Here are my favorite pairings —

Red Strawberry Daiquiri – Garnish with strawberry halves and lime slice.
Orange Mango Daiquiri – Garnish with 3 mango slices fanned on a skewer.
Yellow Pineapple Daiquiri – Garnish with a pineapple slice and pineapple leaves.
Green Kiwi Daiquiri – Garnish with a kiwi slice and mint.
Blue Blackberry Daiquiri – Garnish with blackberries on a skewer and lime slice.

In case you’re looking for more glossary of color recipe ideas, here are a few of my favorites and other daiquiri recipes from the archives —