We Asked 14 Bartenders: What’s the One Cheap Rum You Secretly Love for Daiquiris?
The classic Daiquiri recipe doesn’t involve a blender or a mound of shaved ice. It simply consists of three ingredients: rum, sugar, and lime. It provides the perfect balance of tart and sweet when made correctly. It also looks easy to make on paper, but it takes immense skill to perfect. Meet a bartender who makes a Daiquiri with pinpoint balance, and you’ve found a bartender you can trust with any drink order.
Because a great Daiquiri hinges on balance, the rum used to achieve liquid symmetry need not be fancy. An inexpensive rum will suffice as long as it’s good quality. Skilled bartenders know this, and while they may like to use a pricier rum to make a Daiquiri on occasion, they usually have a cheaper option they’ll reach for on the regular. It may not be a label they lead off with when the topic of best rums happens. It may not be the rum they use to make the drink on their menu. But this hardly matters. They know it slaps in a Daiquiri, and that’s good enough.
So, which rums are the professionals using in their Daiquiris when they’re looking to keep costs down? We asked 14 bartenders to find out.
The Cheap Rums Bartenders Secretly Love for Daiquiris:
Probitas White Blended Rum
El Dorado 3 Year
Cheramie Rum Blanc
Hampden Estate Rum Fire
Worthy Park Silver
Copalli Organic White Rum
Banks 5-Island White Rum
Worthy Park Rum Bar
Palo Viejo White Rum
Hamilton White ‘Stache
Diplomatico Mantuano
Gustoso Guarapo
“Without doubt, my top rum for making Daiquiris is Probitas White Blended Rum, a blend of rums from both Foursquare rum from Barbados and Hampden rum from Jamaica. [Rum producer] Richard Seale has masterfully blended a beautifully expressive blend of both unaged Coffey and pot still rums with a lightly aged 2-year pot still rum. The Jamaican component brings some of that characteristic long fermentation funk without going overboard. It’s totally unsweetened, too. So much complexity, so beautifully balanced — not only is it my first choice under $30, my answer doesn’t change regardless of budget!” —Gareth Rees, beverage director, Ilili, NYC
“El Dorado 3 Year is the kind of rum that makes your Daiquiri sit up straight and behave, even as it still knows how to party. Aged just long enough to pick up whispers of oak and vanilla, then charcoal filtered to keep things crisp and clean, it’s got the structure you want and the swagger you didn’t know you needed. Bright tropical notes dance perfectly with lime and sugar, giving your cocktail a backbone without killing the vibe. It’s smooth, dry, and just a little dangerous — kind of like the best nights out.” —Anthony Laborin, owner/bartender, Verde, Costa Mesa, Calif.
“If I could only drink one cocktail for the rest of my life it would be a straightforward Daiquiri. With so many great rum options available, I choose Cheramie Blanc, made by Porchjam Distillery in the heart of New Orleans. Distilled from 100 percent fresh-pressed Louisiana sugar cane juice, it’s a terroir-driven rum that highlights bright green grass and showcases the best of Louisiana. Plus, Porchjam is an incredible supporter of the local beverage scene and they intentionally price their white rum to make it accessible for all who want a quality cocktail.” —Sam Kiley, general manager, Dovetail Bar, New Orleans
“Coming in right at the $30 mark, my favorite budget-friendly rum for a Daiquiri is Hampden Estate Rum Fire. Now, this is not the bottle I’m pulling for someone’s first Daiquiri. This is really for the Daiquiri aficionado. Coming from the legendary Hampden Estate Distillery in Jamaica, and sitting at a staggering 63 percent ABV, this rum is funky, over the top, and punchy. Everything about it is pure flavor; when combined with fresh lime and some cane sugar and shaken to hell, you get a really lovely, delicate, and fruity Daiquiri with a ton of subtleties. Don’t let the MS Paint label fool you, this is a serious rum for an incredible Daiquiri.” —Christian Favier, bar manager, Seahorse, Charleston, S.C.
“Worthy Park Silver for sure. I think it’s a similar build to their old Rum Bar label, but a little lower proof. Beautiful esters and hogo with a lovely weighty and spicy palate; 10/10 would recommend.” —Lucky Pretsko, bartender, Amor y Amargo, NYC
“At right around $30 or below, Copalli Organic White Rum is an ultra-premium rum at an affordable price. Many rums on the market underdeliver, particularly at the lower end of the price spectrum. Most affordable rums charcoal filter their character away, or add sugar to excess. Quite honestly, you don’t know what you are getting in most cases. Not true of Copalli. The heart of the rum is fresh-pressed sugar cane juice, extracted on site in Belize, from organic heirloom cane sustainably grown on the Copal Tree Farm. The second ingredient is rainwater, which abounds courtesy of the estate’s semi-tropical climate. The result is sublime. A smooth rum with grassiness on the nose and hints of tropical fruit, pepper, and pineapple. It might literally be the best Daiquiri you have ever had.”—Jason Scarborough, co-owner, Bar Becky, Long Beach, Calif.
“Banks 5 Island White Rum. It’s a blend of 21 rums from five different countries. It’s got some Jamaican [rum] in it, a little bit of funkiness, and some fruitiness. I’m from the old guard that likes a Daiquiri with multiple rums in it, so if you’re only picking one, get something like this that brings together different countries and styles.” —Ricky Ramirez, owner/bartender, Mothership, Milwaukee
“One of my favorite rums is Worthy Park Rum Bar Overproof from Jamaica. It’s funky with notes of banana, cherry, and passion fruit, and it’s high-octane. It makes a Daiquiri that is potent and flavorful — a veritable island vacation in a coupe!” —Sheila Arndt, lead bartender, Restaurant R’evolution, New Orleans
“Probitas punches way above its weight class, especially in a Daiquiri. It’s an incredibly complex, fruity, and balanced rum. Having spent the majority of my career working outside the U.S., I often found myself pining for embargoed bottles and blending rums to try to recreate their magic. That was until I was introduced to Probitas. It’s its own beautiful beast and produces one of the finest Daiquiris with no need to blend. If you’re asking me for a bartender’s choice, chances are high you’re getting a classic Probitas Daiquiri, made with love.” —Matt Miller, bartender, Bar Stella, Los Angeles
“It’s not at all a secret that I love Palo Viejo White Rum. A beautiful Puerto Rican rum that is like a handshake for bartenders in Puerto Rico, and I am forever thankful to the bar team at Jungle Bird for introducing me to it. Aside from its value, a Daiquiri with a 2-ounce-to-1-ounce rum-to-lime ratio, three-quarter ounce simple syrup, and 2 dashes orange bitters makes this briny, herbal, and bright rum shine.” —Michael Aredes, bartender, Superbueno / founder, Noche Traviesa pop-up, NYC
“Hamilton White ‘Stache. Hamilton has a full arsenal of rums for anyone looking to do tropical cocktails. Ed [Hamilton] knows what he’s doing, and with the White ‘Stache, you’re gonna make a great crowd-pleasing Daiquiri and keep that cost down in the process.” —Bo Counts, owner/operator, Pinpoint, Fayetteville, Ark.
“I use Diplomatico Rum a lot, and honestly I just love it. Diplomatico Mantuano in particular has this perfect mix of depth and balance that makes it one of my favorite Daiquiri rums, especially for the price. It brings those darker notes — molasses, baking spice, a little cocoa — but still finishes with this subtle citrusy lift that plays right into the lime. The body is round, the flavor holds up, and it gives the cocktail a richer backbone without ever feeling heavy. For under $30, it’s a steal. It’s not your typical Daiquiri rum, but that’s what makes it stand out.” —Mike Guzman, creative director/operator, Blue Door, Charlotte, N.C.
“Probitas! It’s the perfect reproduction of the original light rum from Cuba that was created before column stills took over. Light but with full flavor without being overpowering, it’s also at a proof that lets it sing in a Daiquiri.” —Chris Hassaan Francke, owner, The Green Zone, Washington, D.C.
“I’ve always been a fan of green, vegetal rums in my Daiquiris, especially Daiquiris made with sugar cane juice/syrup. Lately I’ve found myself reaching for Gustoso Guarapo. It usually comes in around $20 for a 750-milliliter bottle at the package store and has that big green flavor I love, with a good amount of that Agricole-ish funk. I tend to shake these up a little sweeter than my usual Daiquiris, because you really want a lot of body and texture to play off a hot aguardiente like Gustoso.” —Benny Leonard, director of operations/beverage director, Pearl Diver/Tiger Bar, Nashville
*Image retrieved from Igor Normann via stock.adobe.com
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