Much of the country has not moved beyond winter yet, even thought it is almost April. Even here in Houston, us cocktail bloggers are shivering at a brisk 45 degrees at night. Sure, it gets to 75 degrees during the day, but even that's cold for a Houston March.
Enter Imbibe Magazine's Winter Daiquiri, an update of the traditional rum and lime juice cocktail. To make this winter version of the classic, combine with ice:
The Winter Daiquiri: Rum, Angostura, Allspice, Vanilla
1 1/2 oz rum
3/4 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz allspice dram
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 drop vanilla extract
and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime or lemon (to distinguish it from a regular daiquiri) studded with cloves.
Imbibe says to make a vanilla syrup, but I think it's easier to just put a drop of vanilla in the drink itself. Sure, it's easier to get too much, but you don't have to make a whole cup of vanilla syrup either. You can just use it as you need it instead.
It's a great drink. As the name suggests, it is a spicy cocktail, with clove and allspice, and cinnamon, and lime. It would be wonderful in summer, too, let's be honest, but there's something about drinking it on a cold night when the heat still comes on. As if we're dreading when we'll need the air conditioning.
