Bacardi Cocktail
White rum, lime and grenadine, shaken. The pink Daiquiri of the 1930s — and the only cocktail a court has ruled must be made with one brand.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the rum, lime juice and grenadine to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with a lime wheel.
A thoughtful finish
- Real grenadine — pomegranate juice and sugar — is the whole difference between this and the red drink that gave it a bad name.
- It is a Daiquiri with grenadine for sugar: if it is too sweet, add lime; too tart, a touch more grenadine.
- The Savoy adds a dash of gin; it does not need it.
Common mistakes
- Artificial grenadine.
- Treating the brand ruling as a recipe requirement at home. Use a rum you like.
- Over-sweetening; half an ounce of grenadine is plenty.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Bacardi Cocktail and a Daiquiri?
Grenadine in place of sugar. It is pink and a little fruitier; otherwise the same drink.
Does it really have to be Bacardi?
In a New York bar in 1936, by court order. At home, use any white rum.
Why did it disappear?
Mid-century grenadine was red corn syrup and Bacardi's rum changed; the drink became sweet and thin and was forgotten.
Can I use aged rum?
Yes, for a richer version that is no longer quite the classic.
Variations
- Daiquiri — Rum, lime and sugar.
- Jack Rose — Applejack, lime and grenadine.
- Hemingway Daiquiri — Rum, lime, grapefruit and maraschino.
- Mary Pickford — Rum, pineapple, grenadine and maraschino.
Where it comes from
c. 1910s–1930s · Cuba and New York
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Bacardi Cocktail is a Daiquiri with grenadine in place of sugar, and it was a Cuban drink of the 1910s that became a New York fashion after Repeal. In 1936 the Bacardi company sued two New York hotels for making it with other rums, and the New York Supreme Court agreed that a Bacardi Cocktail must contain Bacardi rum — the only cocktail with a legal recipe. The ruling made the drink famous and may have doomed it: as Bacardi’s rum changed and grenadine declined into red syrup, the cocktail went with them. With a good white rum and real grenadine it is a pleasant pink sour.
Sources
- New York Supreme Court, Bacardi v. Barbizon-Plaza et al., 1936 (legal)
- Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930 (book)
- Wayne Curtis, And a Bottle of Rum, 2006 (book)
Strength. About 1.33 US standard drinks at an estimated 19.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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