The Hemingway Daiquiri Cocktail

Born in Cuba, refreshingly citrus

Ernest Hemingway liked to drink. Often. In quantity. And long into the night.

He inspired some drinks, too. Including this one, most likely. It features grapefruit juice – one of his favored cocktail mixers.

So Hemingway loved this drink. We predict you will too. But watch that quantity thing.

Recipe: The Hemingway Daiquiri Cocktail

The classic Daiquiri Cocktail is a soothing mix of light rum, lime juice, and simple syrup or sugar. The Hemingway Daiquiri drops the sugar (usually) but adds grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur. The result is an even more refreshing take on the classic.

We’ve seen numerous recipes for this drink, and have tried several. The one we post here is our favorite, though we discuss alternatives in the Notes.

This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare, and serves one.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces white rum (see Notes)
• ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
• ½ ounce white grapefruit juice (see Notes) 
• ½ ounce maraschino liqueur (not maraschino cherry juice; see Notes)
• garnish of lime wheel or twist (optional)

Procedure

1. Add all ingredients (except garnish) to a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake until the contents are well chilled (20 seconds or so).
2. Strain into a cocktail glass, preferably one that’s been chilled. Add garnish, if desired, and serve.

Notes

• Some folks like to serve this drink frappé style – that is, strained into a cocktail glass or goblet over shaved or crushed ice. Frappé cocktails were an early version of today’s frozen blender drinks. Hemingway may have preferred this drink served frappé. We don’t, but try it if you’d like.
• Hemingway probably favored a much heftier version of this drink called a Papa Doble (also known as “Daiquiri No. 3”). If you’d like to try one, here’s the best recipe we’ve seen: 3¾ ounces white rum, 2 ounces fresh lime juice, 2 ounces white grapefruit juice, and 6 drops of maraschino liqueur.
• That’s a big drink! And Hemingway didn’t stop at just one. Legend says he drank 16 – S I X T E E N – of these one night at Havana’s legendary Floridita bar.
• The Floridita was where the Hemingway Daiquiri (and the Papa Doble) were invented, probably in the 1930s. Their creator was almost certainly Constantino Ribalaigua Vert, owner and chief bartender. Hemingway hung out there a lot, as did Ezra Pound, John Dos Passos, and Graham Greene.
• The Papa Doble is drier than our version of the Hemingway Daiquiri (because it uses very little maraschino liqueur).
• We recommend using only white rum in this drink. Some people substitute amber, but the flavor just doesn’t work as well in our opinion.
• Any brand of good white rum will work, though better-quality rum makes for a tastier drink. If in doubt, ask the friendly folks at your local liquor store for suggestions.
• BTW, if 2 ounces of white rum are too much for your taste, reduce it to 1½ ounces. The drink will still taste good.
• Want a slightly sweeter drink? Try 2 ounces white rum, ¾ ounce lime juice, ½ ounce grapefruit juice, 1 teaspoon simple syrup or sugar, and 1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur.
• Another version of this drink that’s pretty good: 1½ ounces white rum, ¾ ounce lime juice, ¼ ounce grapefruit juice, and ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur.
• Maraschino liqueur is made from distilled Marasca cherries. It’s clear liquid, with a slightly bitter almond flavor. Maraschino liqueur is fairly dry, with just a bit of sweetness. The brand you’re most likely to see is Luxardo.
• Do not be tempted to substitute liquid from a bottle of neon-red maraschino cherries. It’s way too sweet and has the wrong flavor profile. 
• We recommend using unsweetened white grapefruit juice in this drink. The red/ruby stuff is way too sweet (and it’s the wrong color for this cocktail). Fresh squeezed is always ideal, but canned/bottled juice works too.
• Remember that grapefruit juice can react negatively with some prescription medications, like statins. So check the warning labels on any medications you may take. And if in doubt, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.
• Hemingway was a frequent and adventurous drinker. If you’d like to read about some of the other drinks he favored, check out Philip Greene’s To Have and Have Another.

For Whom the Barkeep Pours

“So I’m guessing Hemingway got drunk gradually at first,” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “Then suddenly.”

“Though definitely faster if he had the doble version of this drink,” I said.

“I couldn’t take many of those,” said Mrs K R. “My sun would also set.”

“Maybe I should toss one back,” I said. “And see if I’m still like the romantic young hero of A Farewell to Arms.”

“Careful,” said Mrs K R. “These days, it’s more like the old man and the rum.”

Ouch. That’s the truest sentence I know.

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