Boukman Daiquiri

I never realized how much I liked the Daiquiri until I made a proper one, with nothing but rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. Once I understood what this cocktail was really like in its original, pared-down form, I thought there had to be some variations I could try. My own ideas, while probably still refreshing, weren’t that spectacular (Peach daiquiri anyone? Pineapple?). The really good daiquiri riffs do more than just toss in some fruit. The Hemingway Daiquiri is probably the most famous, with maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice. Now I’m adding the Boukman Daiquiri to the list.

The Boukman Daiquiri does not smother the original recipe in fruits and flavorings, nor does it even change it quite so much as the Hemingway Daiquiri does. It simply switches out a bit of the rum for Cognac, and the usual simple syrup for cinnamon syrup. It preserves the spirit and flavor of the daiquiri while – dare I say? – improving on it. The Cognac and cinnamon syrup give it an incredible depth of flavor that the traditional daiquiri lacks. It’s richer. A gorgeous cocktail in every way. If you’ve never made one, I highly recommend trying it.

As with a traditional daiquiri, your choice of rum is going to really affect the cocktail. I used Bully Boy white rum, made in Boston. It’s incredibly flavorful and really shines in a drink like this.

History: The Boukman Daiquiri was created by Alex Day for the Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company in Philadelphia (which, yes, is a bar – looks like maybe they recently changed their name to better reflect that fact). He named it after Dutty Boukman, a Haitian slave and Voodoo priest. In 1791, Boukman presided over an infamous ceremony at a place called Bois Caïman. There was some dancing, prophesies were made, plenty of pig blood was consumed, and Boukman and his fellow priests encouraged the Haitian slaves to revolt. This led to the Haitian Revolution. Boukman was killed by the French three months later, and they put his head on display to let everybody know it. It took years, but Haiti finally gained independence in 1804.