Hemingway Daiquiri

When you think of a daiquiri, you probably think of a very sweet, fruit-flavored drink that might come out of a slushee machine. Tasty maybe, but not very mature.

This is a drink that will make you think of the daiquiri in a whole new way.

The History of the Hemingway Daiquiri

In a way, a Hemingway Daiquiri is similar to the more well-known New Orleans-style slushee version: it contains rum, lime, sweetener and is a pretty color.

But the Hemingway Daiquiri has its own unique story. It’s named after the drink Ernest Hemingway drank in Havana’s famous cocktail bar, La Floridita. Thanks to Hemingway’s friend AE Hotchner reporting it in his memoir Papa Hemingway, the original recipe went something like this:

Two and a half jiggers (or 3 3/4 ounces) of Bacardi White Label Rum, the juice of two limes and half a grapefruit, and six drops of maraschino, all placed in an electric blender over shaved ice, swirled vigorously and served frothy in large goblets.

Known then as Papa Doble, this drink was served to tourists who wanted to follow in Papa Hemingway’s boozy footsteps. (Hemingway once claimed to have had 16 of these in one sitting.)

The ingredients for a modern update

I tried the Papa Doble and didn’t think it was bad at all, a bit like an alcoholic lemonade. But I think adding more maraschino suits a modern palate better. A cherry-based liquor found in many classic cocktails, maraschino has a cherry-almond flavor and can be found in the liquor section of most major liquor stores. The most common brand is Luxardo.

As for rum, a humble white rum would do well here. White rum (sometimes called silver or light rum) has a sweet taste and is clear like vodka. You can find both aged and unaged white rums. An aged white rum, such as Brugal or Flor de Caña, works very well for this drink, but any light rum will do.

How to make it frozen

If you simply must have a frozen daiquiri (perhaps on a hot day by the pool?), you’ll be glad to know that this recipe makes a very nice frozen drink.

To make a pitcher (serving 8) of the frozen versionconvert the ounce measurements into cups (2 cups white rum instead of 2 ounces, 3/4 cup lime juice instead of 3/4 ounces, etc.) and then add all the ingredients to a blender instead of a cocktail shaker.

Add a handful of ice at a time and run the blender until you reach the desired consistency.

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