Which spirit is the traditional base of a classic Daiquiri cocktail?

White rum is the traditional base of a classic Daiquiri cocktail.

The standard Daiquiri combines rum with fresh lime juice and sugar. Unlike the frozen fruit drink often sold under the same name, the classic version is a simple shaken sour served without ice in the glass. Its balance depends on the contrast between rum’s sweetness, lime’s acidity and the added sugar.

The cocktail is associated with Daiquirí, a settlement and iron-mining area in Cuba. One widely repeated origin story connects it with American mining engineer Jennings Stockton Cox during the late nineteenth century, although the drink’s exact development is debated. The recipe became internationally famous after appearing in American cocktail culture.

A common mix-up is assuming that “Daiquiri” always means a blended strawberry drink. Fruit and frozen versions are later variations; the canonical cocktail is made with rum, lime and sugar. White rum is customary because its relatively clean profile lets the citrus and sweetness remain prominent.