Banana Daiquiris likely conjure images of frothy, blended confections in giant curvy glasses, served beachside with banana dolphin garnishes poised under tropical umbrellas. And, while there’s plenty of room in the delicious Daiquiri lexicon for frozen variations, this rendition takes inspiration from the classic, three-ingredient formulation.
A split base of white rum and rhum agricole is combined with banana liqueur, a rich simple syrup, and freshly squeezed lime juice, in this elegant take on the tropical classic.
This Daiquiri variation is adapted from a recipe created by bartender Meagan Crumpley for the opening menu at Ponyboy, a retro-style restaurant in the recently revamped mid-century modern Pearl Hotel in San Diego.
“We decided to lean heavily into the hotel’s origins, both for the food and cocktail menus,” says Ian Ward, general manager of Ponyboy.
The 1950s and ’60s inspire nostalgic dishes like ambrosia salad and beef stroganoff, and mid-century cocktail classics such as the Pink Squirrel, Singapore Sling, and Monte Carlo.
“The legendary hotel was built in 1959 in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, whose Naval and sailing residents still talk about the area’s love for Tiki culture,” says Ward. “We spent the pre-opening months diving through mid-century cook and cocktail books. The Banana Daiquiri was one of the cocktails that we knew we wanted, because it offers the integrity of a tried-and-true classic cocktail, while also appealing to the Tiki lovers of our fishing and sailing community.”
Why the Banana Daiquiri works
The classic Daiquiri dates to the late 1800s with origins in Cuba, and is traditionally made with just three ingredients: rum, lime juice, and sugar. The simple recipe was one of the original templates of the sour family of drinks, which includes the Margarita, Sidecar, and Gimlet, and generally follows a formula of two parts spirit, one part sour, and one part sweet.
In this banana-flavored interpretation, the cocktail template stays intact, but the rum base is split between white rum and rhum agricole, a French-style rum made from freshly pressed sugar cane juice, instead of molasses.
“Agricole adds wonderful grassy and tropical fruit notes that play beautifully with the banana [flavors],” says Crumpley. “However, in too much quantity, it can also be overpowering, so we choose to split the rum base to allow all the ingredients to come through.”
Giffard Banane du Brésil liqueur provides the rich and buttery banana flavors in this drink. The velvety liqueur has a touch of Cognac and a banana bread finish. Rich simple syrup, a thick, concentrated simple syrup, can be made with demerara sugar for a more pronounced toffee flavor. And a full ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice will help balance and brighten the drink for a harmonious summer refresher.
This recipe was developed by Meagan Crumpley; the text was written by Prairie Rose.