The Concept
The daiquiri is one of the most ubiquitous cocktail formats there is: 2 oz spirit, 3/4 oz acid, 3/4 oz sugar, shaken. The Coffee Daiquiri replaces both the acid and sugar components with a coffee cordial, which is already a combination of 50 brix sugar and 6% titratable acidity. A cordial alone doesn't quite reach the full 1.5 oz of non-spirit volume the format needs, so we add a small amount of mineral-supplemented brew water to keep the balance right. The result drinks like a daiquiri. It just happens to be made with coffee.
Ingredients
- •2 oz dark rum
- •1 1/4 oz Coffee Cordial
- •1/4 oz mineral-supplemented brew water
The cordial is your variable. Pick your coffee, run it through the calculator, and design the acid blend to match.
Method
- 1Combine rum, coffee cordial, and mineral water in a shaker
- 2Add ice and shake until well chilled (10–12 seconds)
- 3Double strain into a chilled coupe
- 4Serve up, no garnish
On the Ingredients
The cordial is doing the work of both the sour and the sweet. At 6% TA and 50 brix, it maps almost exactly onto what lime juice and simple syrup do in a classic daiquiri: the acid drives the brightness, the sugar rounds it out. The mineral water isn't a filler. Mineral content affects how acid and sugar register on the palate, and using the same water you brewed with keeps everything consistent.
Dark rum is the preference because coffee has depth, and white rum doesn't always have enough to meet it. Something aged and funky, Planteray or Smith and Cross, will tie into the fruit notes in the cordial rather than sitting beside them.