Drink recipe · 1 cocktail
Daiquiri
Researched · Established classic specification
IBA-aligned Daiquiri: 2 oz white rum, ⅔ oz fresh lime, and two bar spoons of superfine sugar—shaken and served up.
By DrinkKnird · October 27, 2026
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A Daiquiri in the IBA sense is a short, shaken sour: white rum, fresh lime, and superfine sugar. DrinkKnird follows that specification—60 ml rum, 20 ml lime juice, and two bar spoons of sugar—rather than a frozen fruit drink that borrowed the name.
Stir the sugar with the lime and rum first so the crystals dissolve, then shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. The IBA method does not call for a garnish. Fresh juice matters more than a perfect lime wheel on the rim.
This page is a researched classic specification, not a claim of kitchen testing. For other shaken citrus drinks, browse [cocktail recipes](/cocktail-recipes). Holiday punches live on the [holiday cocktails](/holiday-cocktails) hub; they are a different job from this single-serving sour.
- Spirit
- white rum
- Glass
- chilled cocktail glass
- Alcohol
- alcoholic
Contains alcohol. Intended for adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
Recipe
Drink recipe
Yield: 1 cocktail
Original yield: 1 cocktail
Scales ingredient amounts only. Temperatures, times, ratios, and instruction text stay as written. Saved and printed copies keep the original recipe amounts.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (60 ml) white rum
- ⅔ ounce (20 ml) fresh lime juice
- 2 bar spoons superfine sugar
- Ice for shaking
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Add rum, lime juice, and superfine sugar to a shaker. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Add ice and shake until the tin is very cold.
- Strain into the chilled glass. Serve immediately. The IBA specification lists no garnish.
Make-ahead
- Juice limes shortly before shaking. Pre-batching rum and lime without sugar will separate; shake each serving to order.
Notes
- Timing is a research-based estimate for a single shaken cocktail.
- The IBA lists white Cuban ron; any clean white rum is the honest home substitute when that specific rum is unavailable—say so if you swap.
- Two bar spoons is a small measured amount of sugar, not a full ounce of syrup. 1:1 simple syrup can stand in if you keep the sweetness light; that is an adaptation, not the written spec.
- No-cook: shaking on ice is not a cook time.
Why this recipe works
The IBA sour ratio keeps rum in front, with enough lime and sugar to finish clean rather than read as a limeade.
troubleshooting
If the drink is gritty, the sugar did not dissolve—stir before adding ice, or use superfine sugar. If it tastes thin, the shake was too long on wet ice or the lime was watery. If it tastes sharp, add a small extra pinch of sugar rather than cutting the lime; the spec is already a short sour.
Recipe sources & development
Established classic specification
Shaken Daiquiri aligned to the IBA official specification.
Why this formulation: The IBA list specifies 60 ml white rum, 20 ml fresh lime juice, and two bar spoons of superfine sugar.
Other approaches: Frozen fruit Daiquiris and bottled mixes are different drinks. This page follows the IBA shaken sour.
Adaptation credit: International Bartenders Association Official Cocktail specification
Developed from published sources; not yet kitchen-tested by DrinkKnird.
- Daiquiri — IBA Official Cocktail — International Bartenders Association · researched 2026-10-27
60 ml white Cuban ron; 20 ml fresh lime juice; 2 bar spoons superfine sugar; stir to dissolve, shake with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass; no garnish
- IBA Cocktails — International Bartenders Association · researched 2026-10-27
Official IBA cocktail index
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