Daiquirí

2 oz. Rum
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 a Lime
Ice
Use a short tumbler, add the lime to the bottom (squeeze it then add it--the rind adds some bitterness to the drink that is a plus). Top with ice, add rum, and sprinkle the superfine sugar on top, let it dissolve, then stir. More or less can be added depending on the desire of the imbiber.
The recipe combines three ingredients that are local, the balance being struck between the sweet and the sour is one that is up to the bar tender, and then served over ice--hard to say if it is Cuban in origin, hard to deny that it is the most obvious of cocktails to emerge from the Caribbean. What we can say is that they are named after a Cuban beach (which should be considered nine tenths of invention--the name implies it comes from Cuba), and it is very successful as a cocktail. In the book on Bacardi, Hemingway was given credit with single-handedly bringing the daiquirí to the western world, so no matter how you feel about his writing (I think that 'The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber' is one of the all time best stories), we have to give him credit for that.