Nacional Recipe

At the very peak of summer, the epitome of a sharp, clean, refreshing cocktail is usually a daiquiri variation. Sure, long slow-sippers like mojitos and rickeys are invaluable when it's absolutely baking outside, but on a Friday afternoon right after work when you need the crack of a starting pistol to start the summer weekend, a crisp rum drink in a cocktail glass has few rivals.

While the original daiquiri is king of the category, it has many relatives. Here's a relatively young one, created by my good friend Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a bartender and blogger in Eugene, Oregon. Riffing on the classic Hotel Nacional cocktail, which uses apricot brandy for a touch of fruity sweetness, Morgenthaler introduced Fee Brothers Peach Bitters to the mix--and it raises the refreshment bar while tossing in another layer of flavor complexity.

It's Friday, it's summer--why are you still looking at the computer? Mix up a Nacional, head to the beach (or the yard, or the deck, or that spot in your living room with the fan), and raise a toast to National Rum Day.