{"id":6269,"date":"2013-06-02T01:25:44","date_gmt":"2013-06-02T05:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/?p=6269"},"modified":"2024-01-02T19:27:03","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T00:27:03","slug":"lost-cocktails-of-the-mai-kai-short-lived-daiquiri-disappared-when-cuba-fell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slammie.com\/atomicgrog\/blog\/2013\/06\/02\/lost-cocktails-of-the-mai-kai-short-lived-daiquiri-disappared-when-cuba-fell\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost cocktails of The Mai-Kai: Classic Daiquiri lost favor when Cuba fell, but influence endures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated August 2023<\/em>
\nSee below:<\/B> Cuban Daiquiri review<\/A> | NEW:<\/B><\/FONT> Official Mai-Kai recipe<\/A>
\nRelated:<\/B> The Derby Daiquiri: The Mai-Kai\u2019s \u2018$100,000 drink\u2019 is worth its weight in gold<\/a> UPDATED<\/B><\/FONT>
\n* The story of the Floridita Daiquiri rivals any novel<\/a>
\nMore Mai-Kai Daiquiris:<\/strong> Special Reserve Daiquiri<\/a> | Banana Daiquiri<\/a> | Strawberry Daiquiri<\/A>
\n* Mai-Kai cocktail guide<\/A> | More “lost cocktails”<\/a>
\n* More Daiquiri recipes<\/a> | Cocktail Recipes, A through Z<\/a><\/p>\n

The humble Daiquiri is arguably the most definitive rum cocktail, perhaps even the prototype for the 20th century tropical drink explosion. It influenced Don the Beachcomber, Trader Vic, and countless others who followed in their footsteps.<\/p>\n

Cuba’s most famous cocktail can be traced back to the late 1800s, but the simple combination of rum, lime and sugar was not groundbreaking. Martinique and Guadeloupe had the Ti Punch while Jamaica had its Planters Punch.<\/a> An argument can be made that this intoxicating combination was invented on the high seas in the 1700s, when the British Navy introduced Grog to its sailors.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A
A vintage image from a Don the Beachcomber menu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this pantheon, the Daiquiri is distinctive for its precise craft and the clean, crisp rum of its homeland. In Potions of the Caribbean: 500 Years of Tropical Drinks and the People Behind Them<\/em><\/a> (2014), Jeff “Beachbum” Berry praised the Daiquiri as the most perfectly balanced of all the rum-lime-sugar proto-cocktails.<\/p>\n

Though deeply linked to Cuba, the Daiquiri was actually invented by an American engineer, Jennings Cox, who ran a mining company in the small village of Daiquiri during the Spanish-American War. The original was more like a punch, batched and served over crushed ice. It was not reconfigured into a single cocktail, strained into an empty coupe, until around 1913, after Cox\u2019s death<\/p>\n

That’s when the Daiquiri really began to take off. Its popularity grew from a local favorite to a destination drink for tourists who flocked to the Caribbean island’s legendary bars such as Havana’s La Floridita,<\/a> especially during Prohibition. It also caught the attention of Facundo Bacardi,<\/a> who used the simple drink to promote his expanding rum empire.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A vintage Bacardi ad from Cuba. Havana’s La Floridita and owner\/bartender Constantino Ribalaigua Vert became known worldwide for perfecting the craft of the Daiquiri.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s likely that both Donn Beach (aka Don the Beachcomber<\/a>) and Victor Bergeron (aka Trader Vic<\/a>) ran across the Daiquiri during their travels in the Caribbean before opening their bars in California that kick-started the Tiki cocktail craze in the 1930s.<\/p>\n

Their menus are loaded with Daiquiris, much like The Mai-Kai. Open since 1956, the South Florida historic landmark still features many drinks that can be traced back to Donn Beach, such as the Special Reserve Daiquiri<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There’s also a blended classic (Floridita Daiquiri<\/A>) and an acclaimed original creation of mixologist Mariano Licudine, the Derby Daiquiri<\/A>.<\/p>\n

Of all the Daiquiris that appeared on a Mai-Kai menu, the Cuban Daiquiri is the only one that faded into the history books. It was an opening-day drink in 1956, but it likely became a victim of the era’s political upheaval, not to mention the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba that began in 1960 and lasts to this day.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Mai-Kai’s 1956-57 menu, which featured the Cuban Daiquiri (upper right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before the 1958 revolution, Mai-Kai owners Bob and Jack Thornton were known to take weekend jaunts to the island aboard a private plane. They brought back rare bottles of Cuban rum, which can still be found displayed in the restaurant’s back bar (see photo below).<\/p>\n

The Derby Daiquiri took the Cuban Daiquiri’s place on the menu in 1959.<\/a> It was revived during a menu expansion in the early 1970s,<\/a> but it was removed for good in the 1980s and became largely forgotten.<\/p>\n

The Daiquiri was sullied during the cocktail dark ages of the late 20th century by cheap imitations and dreaded frozen slushie-style machines. But the classic recipe maintained a quiet dignity. The traditional Daiquiri has seen an amazing resurgence during the 21st century craft and Tiki cocktail revival.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bartenders around the world have rediscovered the classic, making it a litmus test of their mixology prowess. It continues to generate much discussion among rum and cocktail enthusiasts<\/a> and inspire award-winning mixologists such as Julio Cabrera of Miami\u2019s Cafe La Trova.<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s the perfect time to take a look back and enjoy The Mai-Kai’s 1956 version of this timeless classic. <\/a><\/p>\n

**************************<\/strong><\/div>\n

CUBAN DAIQUIRI<\/b>
<\/p>\n

Okole Maluna Society review and rating<\/B><\/p>\n

\"Cuban<\/p>\n

Size:<\/B> Small<\/p>\n

Potency:<\/B> Mild<\/p>\n

Flavor profile:<\/B> Tart lime, light yet flavorful rum and a touch of sweetness.<\/p>\n

Review:<\/B> A classic Daiquiri using the finest ingredients.<\/p>\n

Rating:<\/B> 2 1\/2 out of 5 stars (see how it ranks)<\/a>. On today’s menu, it would rank at the lower end of the rankings due mainly to its simplicity and lack of a “wow factor” (plus the unavailability of Cuban rum).<\/p>\n

Ancestry:<\/B> The Mai-Kai’s take on a traditional Daiquiri from the land where the drink was invented was also likely an exact copy of the same drink on Don the Beachcomber’s menu, including the signature green cherry. It was featured on the original 1956 Mai-Kai menu,<\/a> but it was replaced by the Derby Daiquiri in 1959.<\/a> The revolution just 90 miles south of Key West likely expedited its removal.<\/p>\n

Bilge:<\/B> Around the same time The Mai-Kai introduced the Derby Daiquiri, Don the Beachcomber menus saw the Cuban Daiquiri replaced with the Royal Daiquiri<\/a> (featuring the same green cherry), undoubtedly using a different rum due to the embargo. The Mai-Kai turned to Puerto Rican rum when Cuban rum became unavailable.<\/p>\n

Agree or disagree with this review? Share your comments below!<\/B> <\/a><\/p>\n

**************************<\/strong><\/div>\n

OFFICIAL MAI-KAI RECIPE<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Mai-Kai’s Cuban Daiquiri was served at Tiki Oasis in August 2023 during the seminar “The Derby Daiquiri and Beyond.” (Photo by Tiki John Atkins)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following recipe was shared by manager Kern Mattei in August 2023 at The Mai-Kai’s Daiquiri seminar at Tiki Oasis.<\/a> It’s very much a traditional Daiquiri, but the proportions are slightly different than the tribute recipe we previously posted (1 ounce lime juice, 3\/4 ounce simple syrup, 2 ounces rum).<\/p>\n

Cuban Daiquiri<\/strong><\/p>\n