daiquiri

Where: Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and JamaicaAge: VariousABV: 46.2%More info: Black Tot takes inspiration from 300 years of Navy tradition! A blend of rums from Barbados, Jamaica and Guyana are featured here, with the complex spirit weighing in at 46.2% ABV. The rum is named for 31 July 1970, the day the Royal Navy discontinued daily rum rations, which is known as Black Tot Day!

Where: Haiti. Sajous, Vaval, Casimir, and Le Rocher distilleriesAge: UnagedABV: 43%More info:  Made with natural sugarcane varieties, wild fermentation with natural yeasts, and discontinuous pot still distillation with zero chemical treatments or pesticides. Vibrant tropical fruit, pear, nectarine, and caramel balanced by green herbs, white pepper, and a touch of brine. A Milk fave.

Where: Oaxaca, San Luis del Rio, MexicoAge: 100% mature Maguey Espadín Agave (harvested after 7 to 8 years)ABV: 47%More info: A wonderful small-batch Mezcal bottled by Del Maguey as part of their single village range of Mezcals. This was distilled in San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca and it has a superb flavour. Roasted in subterranean pit ovens with hot rocks, crushed, naturally fermented with wild yeasts in open wooden vats, and double-distilled in copper alembic stills. Creamy, smooth, and warming with rich fruit, roasted agave, and a clean, mineral finish.

Where: Venezuela. Age: up to 12 yearsABV: 40%More info: A famous dark, sweet, and rich Venezuelan sipping rum. It is masterfully blended using 80% complex pot-still rums and 20% light rums. Tastes very sweet and smooth with rich notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, and oaky spice.

Where: Barbados. Foursquare distilleryAge: 3 yearsABV: 47%More info: Made from molasses using a blend of pot and column still distillates with zero sugar dosing or artificial flavourings. The white rum is aged and then filtered to remove the hue, but none of the flavour - meaning it's packed full of tropical fruit and subtle oak warmth. Great for daiquiri's and the like.

Where: Guyana. Diamond DistilleryAge: 3 yearsABV: 40%More info: Hailing from one of the oldest still in use rum distilleries on the planet. El Dorado 3 is aged a minimum of 3 years in ex-bourbon oak casks, then double-filtered through natural charcoal to remove colour. Smooth with coconut, butterscotch, and white chocolate flavours.

Where: Guyana: Diamond Distillery Age: 8 yearsABV: Crafted using a blend of traditional wooden and column stills and aged for a minimum of eight years in ex-bourbon oak barrels. Smooth and soft with sweet notes of butterscotch, dark chocolate, oak, and baking spices.The Diamond Distillery is known for its historic stills, such as the Port Mourant, Versailles, and Enmore stills, using wooden designs that are no longer in operation anywhere else in the world.

Where: Domican RepublicAge: Not statedABV: 42%More info: Fr’um is a spiced rum rooted in heritage and elevated by fire. Inspired by the smoky warmth of Jamaican BBQs and family gatherings, it’s a spirit born from memory — and made to be unforgettable. Dark muscovado sugar, ripe pineapple and smoked scotch bonnet pepper come together in a bold, balanced blend that’s both fr’iendly and unapologetically provocative. Awarded Gold by The IWSC 2024 with 95 points.

Where: Jamaica. Hampden Estate Age: 4 yearsABV: 60%More info: Warning!! This is a serious Daiquiri; it tastes incredible, but don't let that fool you, it packs a massive punch. An intense and characterful rum from Jamaica's Hampden Estate, made solely from the HLCF (Hampden Light Continental Flavoured) mark and matured for four years in the tropical Jamaican climate. This is a prime example of the robust, funky expressions to be produced at the legendary distillery. Weighing in at a generous 60% ABV, the bold, powerful rum retains plenty of tropical character, with layers of rich oak char, exotic fruit, and woody spice.

Where: Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes. Three Counties DistilleryAge: Not StatedABV: 42%More info: Made by roasting fresh pineapples over charcoal, which are then brushed with a burnt-sugar caramel made with pineapple juice, then chopped and steeped for a week before straining into the base spirit. It picked up two Great Taste Award stars in its second year. Amazing stuff.

Where: Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes. Three Counties DistilleryAge: Not StatedABV: 45%More info: A Michelin-trained chef who started his own distillery that's the headline of Three Counties Distillery. The Tangerine blew us away when we tried it. A burst of zesty citrus, with a marmalade finish you won't see coming, makes for a very tasty, unique Daiq!

Where: Fenny Stratford, Milton Keynes. Three Counties DistilleryAge: Not StatedABV: 42%More info: The white rum from this seriously good English distillery. "Most white rums chase a style that already exists. Ours doesn't. Landlocked English White Rum was built from scratch by a chef who cared more about flavour integrity than tradition — the result is a spirit that's clean, bright, and genuinely its own thing. It's built to disappear into a cocktail and let everything else shine — a crisp Mojito, a sharp Daiquiri — or to be tasted properly, on its own."

Where: Barbados. Age: Not statedABV: 40%More info: Planteray Cut & Dry is a beautifully balanced, coconut-infused Barbadian rum. Full of flavour and made to celebrate island heritage, it was made using hand-cut, sun-dried coconuts sourced from local farmers. This rum-infused creation took four years of refinement to perfect. The dried coconut chunks are infused into a blend of pot and column still rums distilled from molasses at the historic West Indies Rum Distillery, creating a deep, naturally sweet, and aromatic profile. A limited production that will grow alongside Barbadian coconut farming, Planteray Cut & Dry has already earned high praise, securing 95 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and Best Flavoured Rum at the New Orleans Spirits Competition 2024.

Where: South Goa, IndiaAge: Not statedABV: 40%More info: This unique spiced rum embodies a distinctively Indian personality, inviting you to embark on your own voyage of discovery, the distillery is proudly managed by an all-women team from neighbouring villages. Distilled from sugar cane grown in the country's Deccan plateau and delicately flavoured with a host of botanicals. You'll find notes of vanilla and tropical fruit, soft spices and citrus that make it a good sipper over ice, and an ideal component for a delicious Daiquiri!.

Where: Venezuela, Diplomatico distilleryAge: 6 yearsABV: 47%More info: Taking the place of Diplomático Blanco, Diplomático Planas is made with Venezuelan rum which has been aged for six years before being charcoal filtered to remove its colour. This allows it to be used in cocktails where altering the drink's hue would be unwelcome, but continuing to give it those yummy aged rum flavours.

Where: Barbados (Foursquare) and Jamaica (Hampden Estate).Age: Not statedABV: 47%More info: Veritas (which is the Latin for 'truth', and was the name of the Roman goddess of truth) is an intriguing and delightful rum was created from a collaboration by the wonderful Foursquare and Hampden, as well as Italian bottler Velier. This unique white rum features a mostly unaged blend of Coffey column still rum from Foursquare and pot still rum from Hampden. Nothing else was added and no filtration was used before Veritas was bottled at 47% ABV at the Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. It's amazing in Daiquiris.

Where: Mascota, Sierra Occidental de Jalisco (at 1,500 meters above sea level)Agave: Seed-cultivated Agave MaximilianaABV: 40%More info: Raicilla is a traditional, artisanal Mexican agave spirit originating from the southwestern part of the state of Jalisco (plus one municipality in Nayarit), with a history spanning over 300 to 400 years. Made from Maximiliana agave, roasted in a wood-fired oven, fermented by wild yeast, and single distilled in a hybrid Arabic-Filipino still. A great opportunity to explore the agave spirit world beyond the likes of Tequila and mezcal.

Where: Jamaica, Entre-deux-GuiersAge: Not statedABV: 63%+More info: The Nuclear Daiquiri is a modern classic, an intensely strong cocktail created in 2005 by Gregor de Gruyther at the LAB bar in London. It is celebrated for combining funky overproof Jamaican rum, pungent green Chartreuse, tart lime juice, and velvet falernum. This one comes with a warning!!!

Where: Jamaica, Trinidad and BarbadosAge: Up to 12 yearsABV: 41.2%More info: The banana daiquiri was invented in the 1950s, evolving from the classic Cuban daiquiri through innovations by British sea captain George Soule in St. Thomas and bartender Harry Yee in Hawaii.

Where: Monymusk, Hampden Distilleries. JamaicaAge: between 4 and 23 yearsABV: 40%More info: This is a blend of casks from two distilleries in Jamaica: Monymusk and Hampden. The latter distillery has Scottish roots, and is one of the oldest sugar plantations in the country. It has always been known as a rum distillery of high calibre, making spirit for blending. This XO rum was bottled by Mezan, and it is a blend of rums aged between 4 and 23 years of age, re-casked and allowed to marry for many years before bottling.

Where: Jamaica, Trinidad and BarbadosAge: 3 yearsABV: 41.3%More info: The Floridita Daiquiri (also known as the Daiquiri No. 4) is a legendary blended or shaken cocktail created by master bartender Constantino Ribalaigua Vert at the historic El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba. Tart, crisp, and lightly sweet with a bright, sharp edge and subtle dry cherry-almond undertones from the maraschino liqueur. Served unblended

Where: San Baltazar Guelavila, OaxacaAgave: 100% wild-harvested Agave potatorum (Tobalá)ABV: 47%More info: Koch made this mezcal with wild Tobala agave, a variety that provides very small piñas so several are needed to make a single batch of mezcal. Tobala is harvested after 9 years of growth typically and that was the same for this mezcal, which was made by fifth-generation maestro mezcalero Pedro Hernandez in San Baltazar. It is a subtle mezcal with plenty of herbaceous and floral tones.

Where: Rum Co. Of FijiAge: Not statedABV: 40%More info: From the pristine lagoons to the lush jungles, Planteray Isle of Fiji is an ode to the beauty of the Fiji islands. This delicious rum is made using traditional techniques and local Fijian sugar cane which benefits from one of the purest waters on earth and from a volcanic soil, resulting in a high quality sugar cane. Enjoy it neat or in a cocktail.

Where: West Indies Rum Distillery, BarbadosAge: 16 yearsABV: 48.7%More info: A limited-edition bottling from Planteray. 2 years of tropical aging in bourbon barrels in Barbados, followed by 14 years of continental aging in Maison Ferrand Cognac barrels in France. On the palate, sweetsour on citrus, custard, crême brûlée, coconut and pepper.

Where: Oaxaca Age: UnagedABV: 35%More info: Ojo de Dios Hibiscus takes the brand's signature Joven and blends it with Oaxacan-grown hibiscus flowers to create a drink inspired by the Mexican tradition of serving hibiscus tea ‘agua de Jamaica’ to guests. Incredible stuff

Where: Haiti, Distillerie CheloAge: UnagedABV: 55.2%More info: A Milk favourite here. Made using organically farmed local Canne Cristalline (crystalline) heritage-variety cane. Hand-cut with machetes, brought in by mule, and pressed into fresh sugarcane juice.  Distilled in a small copper pot still and bottled at high proof (typically 51–56% ABV) with zero additives, dilution, or oak aging. Raw, powerful, and aromatic, featuring prominent grassy, herbal, earthy, and bright citrus notes.

Where: Grenada, River Antoine EstateAge: No age statementABV: 69%More info: Produced at the River Antoine distillery on the North-eastern coast of Grenada from local organic sugarcane, this exceptional rum is considered to be one of the finest rums from the Caribbean. Using techniques from the 1700's, the cane mill is powered by a water wheel to extract the juice, with the cane bagasse used as a fuel for the evaporating pans to turn the cane juice into syrup, which undergoes a long natural fermentation. River's is a wonderfully flavourful and aromatic Pot Still rum and the jewel of Grenadian rums with complex notes of freshly cut grass, liquorice, anise, coconut and tropical fruit.