The Strawberry Daiquiri is made of fresh and sweet strawberries, tangy lime juice, and a good portion of Rum.
However, many bartenders are not a big fan of this cocktail because its reputation suffered during the 80s and 90s.
Back then, Strawberry Daiquiris almost always were served with artificial flavorings and coloring: bright neon red slushies that never even have seen strawberries from afar.
And as you can imagine, these party brews were not very enjoyable, indeed. But if properly made, the Strawberry Daiquiri is a real treat.
In contrast to the classic Daiquiri, the Strawberry version, typically, is served frozen.
For this frozen Strawberry Daiquiri, you combine all ingredients and blend them until they have the right consistency. The result is a smooth and icy cocktail reminiscent of a fresh fruit smoothie.
The kick from the Rum is just a bonus and makes this drink an ideal mate on poolside vacations.
And there is also Strawberry Daiquiri which is not frozen and can be made without a blender.
For this not-frozen version, you have to muddle the strawberries together with the simple syrup. Then put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and carefully strain the drink into a cocktail glass.
Ultimately, there is no actual wrong or right Rum for this fruity Daiquiri twist. Yet, when choosing the Rum for your Strawberry Daiquiri, make sure you take one that doesn't overpower the delicate strawberry taste.
I find white unaged Rum or one that's only slightly aged ideal for this cocktail. But you can try many different Rums.
If you want to stay classic, use a Bacardi Blanco. If you feel like experimenting a bit, try a Jamaican or a French-style Rum. Or you can even consider a coconut-flavored Rum like the ones from Mahiki or Bacardi.
If you want to create a non-alcoholic version of this delicious cocktail, simply use the recipe for the frozen Strawberry Daiquiri and leave out the Rum.
And when you replace the Rum with tonic water, the Virgin version will taste even better. Some recipes suggest sprite as a replacement, but that will result in a super sweet drink. - Way too sweet for my liking.
So if you're serving it to kids, they might prefer the sprite version. When your guests are adults-only, I recommend going with tonic water as a substitute.
Let's take a look at the recipe for the frozen version. As mentioned, we need fresh strawberries and the classic Daiquiri ingredients like Rum, lime juice, and sugar (in our case simple syrup).
To make the Strawberry Daiquiri frozen, we also need ice cubes. I like to use frozen strawberries as a substitute for at least half of the ice cubes.
That way, the strawberry taste is more pronounced, which makes the whole drink taste fresher.
Not everyone is a big fan of frozen cocktails. Therefore, I also have a recipe for the muddled version.
When making a Strawberry Daiquiri that is not frozen, ensure to double strain it to remove any strawberry bits that didn't get fully muddled.
If you like fruity twists on classics, try the frozen Mango Margarita, or the unfrozen version, the Mango Margarita on the rocks.
Another delicious drink is the Painkiller, which adds fresh orange juice to the tropical Piña Colada.