Hollywood Daiquiris (4144 Hollywood Avenue), located in west Shreveport near Shreveport Regional Airport, is one of the more gonzo daiquiri buying and drinking experiences I've had in North Louisiana - or anywhere, really. It's a small shop that only offers about a dozen flavors. There is no entrance to the shop - there's not a public entrance. Customers may either drive through or walk up to a window. Drivers and walkers have separate windows, which makes for an experience that feels more like buying a snow cone than an alcoholic beverage. But once you get to the window, you realize this ain't no snow cone stand; it's a booze and porno stand. Right there in the walk-up window, you're confronted with a large selection of African American porno DVDs and bootleg hip-hop CDs. This unexpected element is made even stranger by the fact that two middle-aged women run the shop, and they're both incredibly nice, friendly, and customer-oriented.
Hollywood Daiquiri offers 2-for-1 drink specials all day long, so the drink prices are kind of misleading. The medium size, weighing in at 20 oz., is $8. But you're really getting two drinks, so medium drinks are $4 each in practice. You can mix-and-match flavors, so you can walk away with two different 20 oz. daiquiris for $8.
And, oh my goodness, let's talk about the flavors. What I LOVE about this shop is the way it flips some of your expectations and surprises you, while conforming to other stereotypes and expectations. Just from looking at the photo above, would you expect to be able to get a pomegranate daiquiri, mad using real POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, at this store? They make one. It's called "X-Tacy," and is the only pomegranate daiquiri that I am aware of in Shreveport-Bossier City.
Hollywood Daiquiri offers a few other unique choices. The "Goose & Juice" daiquiri is cranberry juice and Grey Goose vodka, and is as good as it sounds. This was an idea whose time has come! The "Call a Cab" is a watermelon daiquiri, and is the store's most popular drink. Trying not to look directly towards any of the porno behind them, I asked the nice ladies working the walk-up window why it was so popular, and the younger woman mentioned that she thinks the "Call a Cab" is the most popular frozen drink in town among older African Americans. One drink on their menu that surprised me is the "White Cherry" - I haven't come across more than one or two white cherry daiquiris in town.
The consistency of these drinks is worth mentioning. They're more like slushees than frozen daiquiris, a trait that reminds me more of South Louisiana daiquiris than Shreveport daiquiris. They're thin, sweet, and go down easy.
So far, I've had the "X-Tacy," "Goose & Juice," and "White Cherry." My only criticism is that these drinks aren't all that strong. If you're accustomed to more potent drinks, you may be disappointed in these daiquiris. But if taste is what you're after, the "X-Tacy" is, in my opinion, an honest contender for the best daiquiri in town. I honestly did not expect to encounter a drink like the "X-Tacy" at this modest shop.
This Saturday, I'm heading to Alexandria, so I'm hoping to grab a non-Shreveport daiquiri somewhere along the way!
By the way, thanks for reading and telling your friends about Drink More Swamp Water - I've gotten tons of great feedback about the blog. I promise to have a video posted soon, as several readers have asked if that was in the works. Mardi Gras is on the way, so anything is possible!
