This Orange Daiquiri recipe is the perfect rum drink for summer! Like a classic Daiquiri, it uses lime juice to brighten up the white rum base, but fresh orange juice gives it an additional warmth and depth. This cocktail is so tasty and it definitely adds a refreshing twist to any get-together. Plus, it's super easy to make!
This is a great drink for the summer months and makes a tasty and quick drink for poolside sipping. But, it's elegant enough to hold its own in a craft cocktail bar, too. Play around with the garnish or use some delicate stemware to make it even more fancy!
If you love this cocktail, try out the Kiwi Chartreuse Daiquiri or the Dragon Fruit Mojito. Both are super refreshing white rum drinks that are definitely summer-worthy!
History of the Daiquiri
The Daiquiri is a classic cocktail that was invented during the 19th century in Cuba. As the legend goes, an American mining engineer, Jennings Cox, mixed together white rum, lime, and sugar when he ran out of gin at a party. His new drink quickly became super popular in the area.
During World War 2, though, the rum cocktail really took off in the United States. The Daiquiri even caught the fancy of Ernest Hemingway at Havana's Floridita restaurant (and he even made his own spin called the Hemingway Daiquiri). Over time, tons of variations have been born, like this delicious Orange Daiquiri and, of course, the Strawberry Daiquiri!
Ingredients
To make an Orange Daiquiri, you will need:
- White Rum - I used Plantation 3 Stars white rum, which is my favorite! It's not only inexpensive but also delicious. Another great option is Bacardi Superior white rum.
- Orange Juice - I highly recommend freshly squeezed orange juice. It has an amazing flavor and a little more tang than the store-bought kind. But, pre-packaged juice will work in a pinch!
- Lime Juice - Again, freshly squeezed is the best if possible.
- Simple syrup - You can make your own simple syrup, or grab a store bought bottle, like Monin Simple Syrup with Cane Sugar.
- Orange peel - Although optional, a piece of peel from a fresh orange really elevates this cocktail and adds to the aroma while you drink.
Substitutions
Here are some ways you can substitute the ingredients in this cocktail:
- Rum - if you don't have white rum, you can use vodka, gin or even tequila blanco. A clear spirit will work the best here, but a lightly aged rum, like gold rum, could also work well.
- Lime juice - if you don't have lime juice, try using lemon juice instead.
- Syrup - instead of simple syrup, you can use the same amount of maple syrup or agave nectar.
Variations
Here are a few tasty variations on this recipe:
- Keto Friendly Orange Daiquiri - it's easy to make this into a keto-friendly drink. There are some natural sugars from the fruit, but for the syrup, just switch out the simple syrup for one made with a sugar-free sweetener. My favorite is allulose! You can use store-bought sugar-free syrup, or you can find more info on how to make your own in my How to Make Simple Syrup post.
- Non-alcoholic Orange Daiquiri - to make a version without alcohol, just use a rum substitute, like Ritual rum alternative. If you don't have that, you can just use filtered water or sparkling water.
- Frozen Orange Daiquiri: Instead of making this drink in a cocktail shaker, just assemble it in a small blender (I love my Americana brand personal blender) and add a scoop of ice. Blend it up and serve! You may need to add in a little more liquid if the blender gets stuck, so try adding water and/or more orange juice a little at a time.
- Blood orange daiquiri: Substitute the orange juice and garnish with fresh blood orange juice for a richer flavor and beautiful color. You can garnish with a slice of the blood orange for a stunning presentation.
- Creamsicle Daiquiri: Instead of plain simple syrup, try using vanilla syrup. You can even add a touch of heavy cream or vanilla coffee creamer to make this drink more like a delicious creamsicle.
Equipment
You only need a few basic bar tools to whip up this drink! Here's what you'll need:
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail strainer
- Ice
- Jigger or small measuring cup
- Coupe glass, or another stemmed cocktail glass like a martini glass, to serve. I used this Art Deco coupe glass.
For the serving glass, you'll want to have one that's on the smaller side, about 4 or 5 oz in capacity. The drink is small but powerful!
If you're using fresh fruit and making the orange twist garnish, you'll also need:
- Paring knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
- Citrus press juicer
And that's it! I really love the products from A Bar Above if you're looking to uplevel your bar tools. You can get 10% off using my discount code, LKDrinks. Their products are all both durable and pretty!
Instructions
Start off by making the orange peel garnish. Use a peeler to take a large piece of peel off of a fresh orange.
Then, use a sharp paring knife to make the edges of the peel clean and neat, and then make a slit in the center of the peel where you'll use it to attach to the rim of the glass.
Set it aside while you make the drink.
Add the lime juice and the orange juice to the cocktail shaker.
Measure and pour the simple syrup and the white rum into the cocktail shaker.
Fill the shaker with ice, and then seal it up and give everything about 15-20 vigorous shakes.
Strain the drink into the glass. Optionally, you can double strain, using both a regular and a fine mesh strainer to get out any fruit pulp.
Add the orange peel garnish to the rim of the glass, and serve. Cheers!
Hint: Try chilling your serving glass for about 30 minutes in the fridge before making the drink. It'll keep the liquid colder longer as you sip!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Orange Daiquiri is similar to a classic lime Daiquiri, but freshly squeezed orange juice adds extra flavor to the drink.
Light rum (also called white rum or silver rum) is traditionally used in daiquiris. The absolute best choice would be a Havana-made rum, but it's hard to find in the United States. A white rum from Barbados or Puerto Rico would be good options.
While a classic daiquiri uses only rum, lime juice and simple syrup, the Hemingway daiquiri version omits the syrup and uses Maraschino liqueur as a sweetener instead. It also adds in some grapefruit juice for a bit of bitterness.
Top tip
Remember that a cocktail garnish is more than just for looks! Although optional, the piece of fresh orange peel really enhances the flavor of the drink. Try squeezing or twisting the peel over top of the drink after you strain it to release even more of the orange oils and aroma.
📖 Recipe
Orange Daiquiri
Equipment
- Citrus juicer (for fresh citrus)
- Knife and cutting board (for fresh citrus and orange peel garnish)
- Vegetable peeler (for orange peel garnish)
Ingredients
- orange peel (for garnish - optional but recommended)
- 2 ounces white rum
- ½ ounce orange juice
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
Instructions
Garnish
- Cut a piece of orange peel using a vegetable peeler.
- Clean up the edges using a sharp paring knife, and then cut a slit in the center of the piece where it will sit on the rim of the serving glass. Set aside.
Cocktail
- Add the white rum, orange juice, lime juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice.
- Seal up the shaker and shake vigorously, about 15-20 times.
- Strain the drink into the serving glass.
- Attach the orange peel garnish to the rim of the glass and serve. Cheers!
Notes
- If you want even more orange flavor, try using a little extra orange juice. Or, you could add in a few drops of orange bitters.
- Although freshly squeezed juice is best, you can certainly use bottled juice in a pinch.
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