John F. Kennedy's Favorite Cocktail Was A Rum Classic

Whether it's a cold beer, an old-fashioned, or any other adult beverage, we all have our favorite. Presidents are no different in this manner and John F. Kennedy certainly had his favorites. While he was known to enjoy a Heineken or two, JFK's drink of choice was almost always a daiquiri. The 35th president enjoyed the rum classic so much that he celebrated his 1960 election win with one made by then-first-lady-elect, Jackie Kennedy. Now, the classic daiquiri traditionally calls for a combination of white rum, lime juice and simple syrup; what made the Kennedys' spin stand out is that Jackie would add falernum and limeade when she made them.

Falernum is a Caribbean ingredient that can be found in many varieties as either a syrup or liqueur. Generally speaking, falernum contains notes of ginger, lime, clove, and almond with the option of alcohol. Unfortunately, which Jackie used is unclear, but we'd suggest starting with Velvet Falernum. It's the market's oldest brand and it contains complementary notes of candied lime and warm clove. Jackie's take on one of the world's oldest cocktails was so beloved by the Kennedys that it was famously pinned to the White House kitchen wall for the staff to follow. 

The daiquiri's accepted origin is that engineer Jennings Cox invented it while working in the iron mines near the village of Daiquiri. The details of how it came about are  mixed, with most pointing to Cox inventing it on the fly during a party. Others contend that he and his team coined its name while at one of Daiquiri's local bars. Either way, the cocktail then made its way from Cuba to the U.S. by way of Admiral Lucius Johnson after trying it himself. From there, it garnered famed champions like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, which helped it evolve from elegantly simple to many other varieties.  

Hemingway's love of daiquiris is well known and gave way to the Papa Doble, which adds grapefruit juice and swaps the simple syrup for maraschino cherry juice (or maraschino liqueur if you want it extra boozy). Similarly, blood orange does wonders for the classic daiquiri due to its floral notes and complementing tart citrus. For fall and winter personalities, the White Lion adds the warm tones of allspice dram to the original, and Jamie Oliver's take on the winter daiquiri substitutes with gold rum, clementine juice, and maple syrup.