Daiquiri vs. Daisy - What's the difference?

We all enjoy a tasty cocktail from time to time. But if you’re not a big drinker or just haven’t tried many, it can be challenging to understand what’s different about each type of cocktail.

Margaritas and daiquiris are perhaps some of the most common cocktails you’ll see on the menu.

Although both tend to have fruity flavors and can be served frozen, they are actually very different. The names and titles can certainly be misleading, but the flavors will surprise you.

What is the difference between a daiquiri and a margarita?

The biggest difference between daiquiris and margaritas is the type of alcohol used to make them. While daiquiris are made with white rum, margaritas are made with tequila and orange liqueur.

In this guide, we’ll talk about all the differences, and some similarities, between margaritas and daiquiris. By the time we’re done, you’ll fully understand each of them and how they differ or compare.

The difference between a daiquiri and a margarita

If you’re perusing the cocktail menu at your favorite restaurant, it can be a difficult decision.

The worst is when the menu doesn’t have a description and expects you to intrinsically understand the components of every drink out there by the time you turn 21.

Does a margarita have rum or is it another drink? Do daiquiris have more than one type of liquor or are they just tequila?

To be honest, neither of these claims is true. The confusion is real! Unless you’re familiar with drinks, it can be hard to know what’s what and what’s in each.

Don’t worry. We’ve got your back! Margaritas and daiquiris are often confused with the same drink. But in reality they are not the same at all.

They have many similarities in the way they are made and served, but there is a big difference between them.

As we go through this guide, we’ll talk first about daiquiris and then margaritas, covering a basic overview of each.

Once we talk about each of them, we’ll end with a basic overview comparison so you can really see the difference in the details. Let us begin!

Daiquiri

First, let’s talk about daiquiris.

One of the similarities between a daiquiri and a margarita is that both drinks can be served in different flavors.

Another similarity between them is that both drinks can be served frozen or with ice.

Did you know that daiquiri on the rocks was the traditional way to serve it? Now we almost always see them in frozen form, but that wasn’t always the case.

People love frozen daiquiris.

Strawberry daiquiris are perhaps the most common flavor you’ll see available, but you’re not limited to that flavor. It is one of the main options, but a daiquiri can also be made with other flavors.

The daiquiri was first designed in Cuba. Like the margarita, if you don’t choose a specific fruity flavor, it’s made with lime.

The daiquiri is actually a category of cocktails and you may hear other names fall into the category.

Here are some of the most common daiquiri flavors:

• Strawberry
• traditional lime
• pineapple mango
• coconut mango
• coconut lime
• Watermelon
• Banana
• Hemingway (maraschino and grapefruit)
• Take Me Down to Kokomo (banana and strawberry honey)
• Beachcomber (maraschino and lime)
• Southside (lemon, mint and lime)

Some even add other types of alcohol, such as a liqueur, triple sec, gin, or something else. Most commonly, daiquiris are made with rum in combination with other additives and flavors.

Daiquiri ingredients

This particular category can be very broad. In the end, the original daiquiri was served with a traditional lime flavor, much like a margarita.

When you examine some of the names that fall into the daiquiri category, they actually start to get very close to a margarita.

For this guide, we’ll focus on the traditional daiquiri for comparison.

Here’s a list of the basic ingredients you’ll find in a traditional daiquiri: 

• White rum (sometimes spiced rum)
• fresh lime juice
• fine sugar
• Lime

The process is simple. If you’re making it at home, you’ll put the ingredients in a cocktail shaker to mix and then add ice and shake until chilled. Strain it all into your glass, garnish with a slice of fruit of your choice, and enjoy!

On a daiquiri, the rim is usually not covered with anything, but it can be. It can be topped with sugar or salt to intensify the bright, fruity flavors.

If you were making this frozen daiquiri, you would throw all the ingredients into a blender to mix them together and then pour them into a glass and garnish however you like.

That pretty much sums up daiquiris. They are light, fruity, refreshing and absolutely delicious.

Daisy flower

Next up is the daisy. The daisy originated in Mexico.

Like the daiquiri, it is traditionally made on the rocks, but frozen mixes are now very popular as well.

This is a specific cocktail rather than a broad category. You’ll hear of multiple flavor options, but they all fall into the no-alcohol-added margarita category.

The traditional way to serve a margarita has always been on the rocks, but the frozen edition has been very popular and might even be more generally preferred than the traditional style.

You can add any fruit flavor or aroma you want, and there are even margaritas that are mixed with beer. You may have heard of drinks like the Corona-Rita. This is a good example of one of those options.

Lime is the traditional flavor of a margarita, just like a daiquiri. However, there are many flavors and you can even see more options and flavor combinations.

Here are some of the common flavors of margaritas:

• • traditional lime
  • Strawberry
  • Watermelon
  • Mango

• Orange
• Grenade
• peach mango
• strawberry mango
• Tropical pineapple
• Pink lemonade

These are just some of the more popular flavors, but you can flavor a margarita any way you like. You probably won’t go wrong if you use fruity flavors.

Get creative and make your own flavors and combinations!

Ingredients in the daisies

Just like we did with the daiquiri, here’s a breakdown of the ingredients for the margaritas. Keep in mind that there can be a lot of different flavor options, so we’re going to focus on the traditional lime for the purposes of this comparison.

You can always use this as a base and then add whatever flavors you prefer. Our goal is not to share an exact recipe, but to provide the basic ingredients to compare the difference between daiquiris and margaritas.

The biggest difference between a margarita and a daiquiri is the type of liquor used.

These are the basic ingredients found in a margarita:

• Tequila (usually white, but occasionally gold)
• Orange liquor
• Lime juice

Remember that a margarita was traditionally made with ice, but frozen is always an option.

If you choose frozen, you will put these ingredients in the blender with a little ice. For a margarita on the rocks, you would mix the liquids in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass.

For a margarita, the rim is usually coated in salt and is often garnished with a lime. Many places now offer to rim your glass with sugar instead of salt to make it sweeter if you prefer.

Daiquiris vs. Daisies - Final Comparison

In short, both the daiquiri and the margarita have a similar traditional style. The traditional flavors are lime and are served over ice. Both are now made in a variety of flavors and can also be served frozen if preferred.

The biggest difference between daiquiris and margaritas is the alcohol. Daiquiris are primarily made with rum, while margaritas are made with tequila. This is what really sets them apart.

Which is stronger?

It all depends on who is mixing it and how it is served. Most recipes call for a similar amount of liquor in total, although the margarita calls for both triple sec and tequila.

People react to different types of alcohol in their own way. For some, tequila can hit their system faster and affect them more, while rum is less of an effect.

Both types of liquor usually have the same graduation. If the proof is the same, the alcohol content is also the same between them.

Typically, tequila’s alcohol content is 40-50%, while rum’s is around 40%, so it may not make much of a difference to you.