Correct pronunciation of 'daiquiri' shows we’ve been getting it wrong all this time
Whether yours is frozen, strawberry-flavoured, or just sharp and classic, we can all agree a good daiquiri is always a winner.
In its purest – and arguably tastiest – form, it’s simply a blend of rum, fresh lime juice, and sugar, shaken up and poured into a coupe glass.
The drink is named after the small town of Daiquirí in Cuba, 14 miles east of Santiago de Cuba, where it is said to have been invented by American mining engineer Jennings Cox.
More than 100 years later, it’s become a cocktail menu staple, but even after all this time, it seems there’s some confusion over the pronunciation.
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Are you part of the ‘DAK-uh-ree' crew, asking for a round of ‘daqs’ if you’re feeling particularly casual? Or do you stress the second syllable so it’s a ‘Dah-KEER-ee'?
Well, according to experts, they’re both wrong.
The topic came up on Twitter a couple of years back, where biologist and writer Richard Dawkins posed: “How [to] pronounce ‘Daiquiri’?
"For some reason, Americans say ‘Dakkiri’ (and the OED gives it as official US pronunciation). The OED gives the British pronunciation as ‘Dyekiri’, which is close to the original Cuban Spanish except that we stress the 1st not 3rd syllable.”
Someone else quipped: “I usually say ‘Dakkiri’ or ‘Dakkeri’ or most likely ‘the red fruity one’ it really depends on how many I’ve had...”
A third admitted they were still none the wiser, writing: “I honestly had to google the two pronunciations because I've never noticed a difference... Listened to each a few times... They still sound exactly the same to me.”
A fourth added diplomatically: “Language is flexible and ever-evolving. If it works as a means of communication and people understand what you’re ordering, it doesn’t matter how you pronounce it.”
French YouTuber and winemaker Julien Miquel, who regularly posts videos on how to pronounce certain words – including a number of drinks – also agrees there's a way to say it ‘correctly’.
Indeed, as with Dawkins’ explanation, Miquel pronounces the word ‘die-kih-REE', with the main stress on the third syllable as with the pronunciation of its namesake town.
Commenting on his video, joked: “Panic at the Disco f**king lied to me,” referencing the band’s hit song ‘But It’s Better If You Do’.
“Yeah why the f**k did he say it like that,” another fumed.
If in doubt, just stick to the 'red fruity one'...
Topics: Food and Drink, Social Media, Alcohol
Jess Hardiman