Legend has it that American mining engineer Jennings Cox first mixed rum with crushed ice, lime juice and a spoonful of sugar to create what he called the Daiquiri, named after a small town near Santiago, Cuba. But because limes, sugar cane and rum are three things the island produces in abundance, it's also likely that the drink was already being served in Cuba before Cox arrived.
US Congressman William Chanler purchased mines near Santiago shortly thereafter and brought the drink back to the clubs of New York, where it caught on. F. Scott Fitzgerald contributed to its popularity by mentioning the drink in "This Side Of Paradise," and Ernest Hemingway and President John F. Kennedy were likewise fans of the daiquiri.
National Daiquiri Day is celebrated in the US on July 19.
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