far better than gatorade

DAIQUIRI- [dahy-kuh-ree]

-a rum-based cocktail drink with lemon/lime juice and sugar syrup
blended with crushed ice and any available fruit in season.

- a drink that was accidentally invented by the bar host due to the shortage of gin.

-the drink basically evolved due to abundance of sugar and lime

-a name of a beach in Santiago, Cuba

Banana Daiquiri

2/3 of a banana
1/2 oz. lime
1 1/2 oz. rum (or light rum)
1 tsp. sugar syrup or crème de banane

crushed ice

mix all ingredients and blend until smooth. pour into a chilled cocktail glass.
decorate the rim of the glass with a slice of banana.

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shakes have been part of my childhood. my dad worked in the middle east so he used to pester my mom about a lot of things: our studies, extra curricular activities, especially the food that we eat. i remember when 7-eleven introduced their "Slurpee" which drove me and the other kids my age crazy about this frozen cola that gives you the "brainfreeze". for some reason, this changed my eating habits and was eventually brought to my dad's attention. one saturday morning, we received individual letters from my dad. one line in that letter said:

"I ASKED YOUR ATE TO BUY SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU GO HOME EARLY AFTER CLASS"

that afternoon, Ate (my mom) and i went to automatic center (cubao) to buy a blender. we went to farmer's market and bought some fruits right after. That night, i had my first meeting with mango-banana shake. the time just stopped. until my sixth grade, im wondering what fruit shake will my mom prepare for lunch.

high school senior year, i was introduced to mocha frappe. that started my caffeine addiction. The one good thing that helped me cope with the stress of the graveyard shift. a very expensive part of teenage lifestyle. i can still remember that one coñotic friend used to say, "the coffee that you drink, are like the clothes that you wear". (did she mean: "for you to look like a yuppie, drink starbucks frappe...but remember to sip just a little at a time..so you can stay longer in the coffee shop"). The last time i heard, she still always spends her time in starbucks, waiting for friends/officemates who she texted and aksed to give her a treat of her favorite...a grande mocha frappe.

then came the point where my belly was oriented on its other purpose. that time he met the bitter but soothing taste of ice-cold beer. Then came the gin, and rum… and brandy…then vodka. i learned that the chaser can be any drink that you take after a straight shot. that a dash of cigarette ash on your drink will knock you out on the first round.

for the longest time, i was looking for a different taste…a taste aside from a gulp of chaser, mule or vodka cruiser. something really cold and refreshing… something that would knock me down hard without leaving me that bloated feeling. after a few months of thirst for something good, my friend jd (a bartender) to his newest addiction…MIXOLOGY. I then rediscovered one of the greatest inventions of man…the DAIQUIRI…and the rest was history.



postscripts:

• i still love to stop by 7-eleven to buy a large slurpee
• my good friend kim irish manapat made me realize that “extra joss” goes well with beer.
• my younger brother broke the glass pitcher of our old blender when he used it to grind the pork lungs and heart for “bopis”