The Perfect Spiced Rum Daiquiri Recipe for Winter

With a hint of vanilla and fresh lime juice, this easy recipe is a fantastic winter cocktail.

Make a Spiced Rum Daiquiri for a delicious drink to share with friends and family when the weather cools down. If you enjoy making cocktails at home, you’ve got to give this one a try. 

This Spiced Rum Daiquiri recipe is sponsored by Don Q rum. All opinions are 100% mine.

Originally posted November 29, 2017. It has been updated with more tips so you can make this winter daiquiri perfectly every time.

Does anyone else hear the word “daiquiri” and instantly think of a cheesy tropical vacation set in the 1980’s? Well, I’m about to blow your mind!

Jump to:

• What is a Daiquiri
• Ingredient Notes
• What Type of Rum To Use
• How to Make a Winter Daiquiri
• Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Recipes
• Spiced Rum Daiquiri Recipe

What is a Daiquiri

To qualify as a daiquiri, a cocktail needs rum, citrus and some sort of sweetener.

So like Moscow Mules, you can take that basic idea and make it with a variety of different flavors.

This winter daiquiri takes the classic recipe and adds vanilla and warm spices to make it feel comforting and delightful to share with friends.

I’m not super familiar with rum as a whole. But I DO know that spiced rum is where it’s at for me. I also use it to make Cinnamon Rum Cake and in a simple Dark and Stormy cocktail.

Spiced rums add a real “depth of flavor” to a cocktail. I can talk like that. I watch a lot of the Cooking Channel.

This rum daiquiri recipe is perfect for all your winter and holiday parties! Serve this as a signature cocktail at Friendsgiving or any family get-together this season. Because, YUM!

Ingredient Notes

Starting with a delicious rum, like this Don Q Spiced rum, provides the perfect, flavorful base for your winter daiquiri. 

The vanilla and spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove) in the rum add so much flavor.

And while you typically wouldn’t think fresh lime juice would be a great match, it totally is. It adds brightness but not necessarily a citrus flavor. SO GOOD!

The vanilla simple syrup adds sweetness and even more vanilla notes. And Angostura bitters add complexity and depth keeping it from being too sweet.

Want to add even more cinnamon flavor? Try using my Vanilla Simple Syrup infused with Cinnamon.

What Type of Rum To Use

Don Q is the #1 selling rum on Puerto Rico where it is produced. They make exceptional aged rums that are environmentally responsible.

Seriously, this Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced Rum is OUTSTANDING! It’s full of warm, rich flavors and golden hues and has a medium to heavy body.

Don Q has invested time, knowledge and resources in to making their distillery, Destilería Serrallés, one of the most environmentally responsible and greenest in the spirits industry.

Plus it is one of the few distilleries in the world that doesn’t dump wastewater in the ocean! Pretty rad.

If you want to support a Puerto Rican business this holiday season, consider gifting Don Q to your friends and family! Check out where Don Q is sold near you.

Don Q is great in all kinds of cocktails (like this Spiced Rum and White Zinfandel cocktail and this delicious Rum Punch). But it is also tasty enough to sip on its own.

How to Make a Winter Daiquiri

To make this cocktail, grab your favorite cocktail shaker.

Add fresh lime juice.

Then add the vanilla simple syrup and Spiced Rum.

Just a few drops of Angostura bitters is the perfect thing to finish it off!

Add ice and shake it up vigorously. You can get weird if you want. Add in some dance moves. Whatever you want.

Then strain your spiced rum daiquiri into a coupe glass. 

Or, really, whatever glass you want. Coupe glasses can be really hard to drink out of. But they sure are pretty.

Tips

• Don’t want to take the time to make vanilla simple syrup? Use store-bought simple syrup or my cheater simple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract!
• Look for flavored bitters to add even more layers of flavor to this drink.
• Try using fresh orange juice to make this winter daiquiri feel even more holiday ready. The cinnamon and vanilla flavors of the spiced rum will go great with orange juice.
• Don’t have spiced rum, you can use dark rum instead. It doesn’t have as many of the spice notes but will work. I wouldn’t use white rum in this recipe if you can help it.

Frequently Asked Questions

OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS! I had no expectations of this cocktail before making it. But after tasting it, I was floored!

This is legit one of my new favorite cocktails. I can’t wait to make these at a holiday party for all my friends. Or just for myself.

The vanilla and spices from the rum make this the perfect fall or winter cocktail.

Grab a bottle of Don Q Spiced Rum so you can be ready to bust out this cocktail when friends drop by. ‘Tis the season for unannounced visits…

If you’re a fan of rum, you’ll want to also make some Coconut Rum Cupcakes. Because, yum.

All images by Dez and Tam Photography.

Related Recipes

• This list includes 14 delicious Winter Vodka Cocktails to try out this season.
• Make up some Hot Green Tea with Vodka when you want to sip on something comforting with a kick.
• A Whisky Mule is a quick and easy cocktail to make that is refreshing but great during sweater weather.