Recipes: Happy National Daiquiri Day!

Need an excuse to celebrate in the midst of this week's heat wave? July 19 is National Daiquiri Day. Although the drink was invented in 1898 in the tiny iron mining town of Daiquiri in Cuba by an engineer named Jennings Stockton Cox, it is a cocktail usually associated with author Ernest Hemingway.

But Cox was the one who created the blend of lime juice, sugar, and local Bacardi rum over crushed ice as a way to boost the morale of mine workers when the hot summer heat became nearly unbearable.

The original drink was made with lime juice, sugar, and white rum but then, around 1940, Hemingway inspired the frozen variety sold at El Floridita bar in Havana. Today you can order a daiquiri with almost any kind of fruit you could think of.

For those of you who'd like to concoct a few of these refreshing creations yourself to celebrate the day, here are three great recipes to try. If you have one of your own you'd like to share, let us know in the comments section below or email Shelley@patch.com.

Happy Daiquiri Day!

Best Strawberry Daiquiri

Ingredients

• 6 cups ice
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 ounces frozen strawberries
• 1/8 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice 
• 3/4 cup rum
• 1/4 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Directions

1. In a blender, combine ice, sugar and strawberries. Pour in lime juice, lemon juice, rum and lemon-lime soda. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Best Banana Daiquiri

Prep Time: 5 minutes. Total Time: 5 minutes. Yield: 1 Drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz light rum 
• 1 Tbsp triple sec
• 1 banana
• 1 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup crushed ice
• maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend on low speed for a few seconds, then at high speed until smooth.
3. Pour contents into a chilled hurricane glass or Champagne flute.
4. Garnish with the maraschino cherry.

Regular Daiquiri

Ingredients:

• 2 oz light rum
• 1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz sugar syrup
• lime wedge for garnish

Preparation:

1. Blend the light rum, lime juice, and sugar syrup with approximately 2 cups of ice.
2. Pour into a chilled collins glass.
3. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Add your favorite fruits for more delicious flavors.