The Royal Daiquiri

Many people believe that the measuring stick for a good, or even great bartender comes down to their ability to make a Daiquiri.

Tobin Shea, the Bar Director at Redbird in Los Angeles, makes a great one. So we sat down with him to talk about everything Daiquiri and get a recipe for a spinoff he loves.

“The Daiquiri has such a rich history that it’s easy to sit here and pull hairs over what makes it perfect,” Tobin said. “Some people argue that it’s not a real Daiquiri without Spanish Rum, fresh lime juice and granulated sugar. According to some, if you use simple syrup, it’s not a real Daiquiri.”

“And look, the Daiquiri, in my opinion, it’s a perfect drink like a Martini, like an Old Fashioned—it has the same longevity. It’s something we’ll be serving for twenty years to come and it will still be just as good,” he said.

“But if you drink them frequently, sometimes you want a spinoff, and this one is my favorite. We actually had it on the RedBird menu for a while because I liked it so much.”

Tobin’s Royal Daiquiri was originally invented by Don the Beachcomber around the 1930s. To make it, Tobin uses Probitas Rum, a Caribbean Blend, not Spanish, and Simple Syrup instead of granulated sugar. He also adds Parfait Amour, a liqueur that gives the drink a touch of purple.

“I love this variation because when you blend the rum with the Parfait Amour and the lime, the vanilla really sings, the rose petal really comes out. It almost makes me think of a Key Lime Pie. And it has this beautiful color—you get this light purple hue on a daiquiri and that for me takes it over the top,” he said.

“I know people will yell at me about this, like ‘How dare you do a variation on the daiquiri,’ but it’s okay. We can have this perfectly simple cocktail and do a little riff on it. I’m not saying it’s better than the original, I’m just saying it’s good to have. It’s good to have for the drinker who might want something different sometimes.”