Juan Coronado of BACARDÍ Rums Discusses 2 Iconic Cocktails

By Chilled Magazine

This month, we’re celebrating two of the most iconic classic cocktails: the Daiquiri and the Piña Colada.

So we sat down with Juan Coronado—the national brand ambassador for BACARDÍ Rums—to chat about the history of these drinks and serve you three delicious recipes to mix up in July. Treat yourself to a spirited history lesson, and then put your knowledge to use with one of these frosty, refreshing cocktails.

Juan Coronado of BACARDÍ Rums, portrait on white

Juan Coronado of BACARDÍ Rums

Talk to us about National Daiquiri Day.

The Daiquiri is a simple yet important cocktail. In my opinion, it is indisputably the one classic cocktail that bartenders must master before “graduating” to more difficult, complex recipes. Because of that reason, National Daiquiri Day is one of my favorite national holidays! I love that we get to celebrate and honor this majestic combination of Caribbean golden drops of sun (our rum), lime juice, and sugar.

Talk to us about National Piña Colada Day.

Around the world, the Piña Colada is a celebratory symbol of good times and happiness. This iconic tropical cocktail stole the hearts of millions of people—most of the time while on vacation—with its unique flavor and texture. So on National Piña Colada Day, it’s a moment when we all can go on a mini-vacation thanks to this classic.

What do these classic drinks represent for BACARDÍ?

The Daiquiri and the Piña Colada represent two of the most epic moments in cocktail history, in two different cities and decades (pre- and post-Prohibition), indicating the long impact that BACARDÍ rums have had in classic cocktail culture. These iconic creations are part of the BACARDÍ legacy of classic cocktails and have influenced bartenders all around the world in their craft. Whether you’re a cocktail enthusiast or a bar expert, both the Daiquiri and the Piña Colada are great ways to celebrate BACARDÍ rums and the bartending industry.

How does BACARDÍ celebrate these days with its heritage and history?

For several decades, bartenders have been inspired by the unique style of BACARDÍ rums, leading to the creation of a plethora of historically significant cocktails such as El Presidente, Papa Doble, Cuba Libre, El Mismo, and more. National Daiquiri Day and National Piña Colada Day are important for all of the gran BACARDÍ familia around the world, offering a chance to pause, look back, and look forward to the long heritage that our worldwide BACARDÍ family created.

What should bartenders know about these national days? 

I’d love for bartenders to be inspired by rum’s mixability and have fun experimenting and creating their own expressions of these classic cocktails.

What are some of the fun ways drinkers can celebrate these days?

Bars across the United States will be raising a glass to toast and honor these two iconic cocktails, so gather your friends to celebrate your community at your local bars. And, if you happen to be in New Orleans on July 19, come celebrate National Daiquiri Day with me in the French Quarter during Tales of the Cocktail.

Any historical fun facts you can share about these days?

The Daiquiri has some of my favorite fun historical tidbits—here are a few!

  • In 1862, Don Facundo Bacardí creates a completely new style of rum that would be a catalyst for a whole new genre of cocktails that would be featured in every major bar manual for years to come.
  • El Daiquiri is invented in 1898 by Jennings Cox, an American engineer who worked in the town of Daiquirí in Cuba. The real beauty of the cocktail is its unpretentiousness—when a drink calls for just three ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide. Zingy, light, and refreshing on the one hand, while complex and packing a punch on the other, it’s the holy trinity of cocktail ingredients, the perfect union of sweet, sour, and spirit brought together beautifully in a glass.
  • In 1909, Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, a U.S. Navy medical officer who sampled Cox’s drink in Cuba, introduces the Daiquiri to America at The Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C., where a plaque in his honor now hangs in the Daiquiri lounge.
  • In 1937, the United Press declares Constantino Ribalaigua of the bar El Floridita “The Cocktail Master” for his repertoire of Daiquiris, including version No. 4, a mix of BACARDÍ, granulated sugar, juice of half a lime, and maraschino liqueur.
  • By 1938, following its successful introduction by entertainer Fred Waring, 35,000 Waring blenders are now in professional use in America. This invention makes the new, frozen-style Daiquiri possible and paves the way for additions like strawberries or bananas.
  • In 1953, Esquire magazine declares El Floradita one of the most famous bars in the world. The same year, a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded to the bar’s most famous patron, Ernest Hemingway, popularly credited with the line, “My Mojito in the Bodeguita, my Daiquiri in the Floridita.”
  • In the 2000s, we see a resurgence of the Daiquiri. Old becomes new again, and there is an appreciation for what the bartenders of the past were creating with simple ingredients. The Daiquiri will forever reign as one of the elites in cocktail history.

BACARDÍ Piña Colada

Ingredients:  

  • 2 oz. BACARDÍ Superior Rum
  • 1.5 oz. Fresh Coconut Water
  • 1 oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice
  • 3–4 Chunks Fresh Pineapple
  • 2 tsp. Caster Sugar
  • Pineapple Slice (for Garnish)
  • Pineapple Leaf (for Garnish)

Preparation: Place the pineapple chunks in a cocktail shaker and crush them lightly using a muddler or bar spoon. Pour the pineapple juice, coconut water, and sugar into the shaker and stir it all up to dissolve the sugar before pouring in the BACARDÍ Superior rum. Fill the shaker with ice cubes and shake vigorously. Pour the mix into a tall glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple slice and leaf.


Hand-Shaken Daiquiri, cocktail and bottle with backlit bar

Hand Shaken Daiquiri

Hand-Shaken Daiquiri

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. BACARDÍ Superior Rum
  • 1 oz. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
  • 2 tsp. Sugar

Preparation: Place sugar and freshly squeezed lime juice into a cocktail shaker and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in the BACARDÍ Superior rum and fill the shaker with half-cubed ice, followed by some half-crushed ice. Place the lid on the shaker and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled. Strain through a fine tea strainer into a chilled coupe glass.


BACARDÍ Lime Frozen Daiquiri

BACARDÍ Lime Frozen Daiquiri

BACARDÍ Lime Frozen Daiquiri

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. BACARDÍ Lime Rum
  • 1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
  • .75 oz. Simple Syrup
  • Lime Zest
  • Lime Wheel (for Garnish)

Preparation: Combine all ingredients, save for the garnish, in a blender with 2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth. Garnish with a lime wheel.

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