Caña Rum Bar, the "exclusive" Downtown watering hole that requires a $20 yearly membership, is home to more than 140 gourmet rums. It's no surprise then that their classic daiquiri is one of the best in town. The drink is made simply here—lime, sugar and very good rum—and highlights the spirit without drowning it in unnecessary ingredients.
Let's take a moment to consider Ernest Hemingway's dedicated relationship with the daiquiri. In Islands in the Stream, he wrote, “This frozen daiquiri, so well beaten as it is, looks like the sea where the wave falls away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots." The author drank daiquiris like it was his job, requesting double the rum and substituting sugar for maraschino liqueur. Though LA might not be as in love with the drink as Hemingway was, there are still some outstanding versions being whipped up in cocktail bars around town, perfect for sipping on a rooftop or in a secluded Downtown bar. We did a little drinking—naturally—and discovered some of the best daiquiris in LA. Hemingway would be so proud.
RECOMMENDED: Our guide to cocktails in Los Angeles
