The story
The daiquiri is named after Daiquirí, a beach and iron-mining village east of Santiago de Cuba where American troops landed in 1898. Around 1900, the story goes, American mining engineer Jennings Cox mixed local rum with lime, sugar and ice for his guests and named the drink after the mine; one account places that first round at the Venus bar in the city of Santiago. In 1909 a US Navy officer carried the recipe to a Washington club. Havana bartenders, above all Constante Ribalaigua at El Floridita, later turned it into the shaken classic beloved by Ernest Hemingway and, in frozen form, by much of the world.
Rival claims
Refined and made famous later in Havana bars (El Floridita), about 750 km west; another account credits US congressman William Chanler. One account places the first round at the Venus bar in the city of Santiago de Cuba, about 20 km west of the village.
Also known as daiquirí, Cuban daiquiri, Hemingway daiquiri.
On the Meridish menu
Daiquiri was the aperitif course on menu No. 18 on October 18, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Rum, lime juice and sugar, shaken ice-cold. An American mining engineer is said to have mixed it around 1900 and named it after the nearby beach and iron mine.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
