Classic Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe

The daiquiri has a storied history, from its humble seafaring origins as "Grog" (a citrus-and-booze concoction consumed to ward off scurvy) to the saccharine-sweet, fruity-frozen cocktails we see at beachside resorts today. The "Hemingway Daiquiri," a cocktail inspired by a notorious writer and his penchant for good drink, sits somewhat in the middle of our daiquiri timeline and flavor spectrum. 

Let me set the (abridged) scene: You have Ernest Hemingway, his favorite Havana bar, El Floridita, and the bar's owner, Constantino Ribalaigua Vert (or so the story goes). Hemingway sampled the bar's original daiquiri, found it to be too sweet for his liking, and asked Constantino for a modified version. This requested modification doubled the rum and minimized the sugar, something, I think, that would make it taste akin to the daiquiri's Grog-based origins. In what might have been a clever marketing stunt, the owner of El Floridita named the drink the "Papa Doble" to honor Hemingway and his boozy creation. 

The modifications don't end there. A tongue-tingly-tart, rum-heavy drink might have been Hemingway's preference, but that combination might not appeal to the masses. To balance the lime juice and double dose of rum, grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur have been added. The resulting modification-of-a-modification-daiquiri is still tart and rum-heavy, just with a touch of sweetness from the cherry liqueur.

You will need fresh grapefruit and limes for juicing and garnish. As well as white rum and maraschino cherry liqueur, like Luxardo or Maraska (two of the more popular brands). I also added some actual maraschino cherries to this recipe as an additional garnish.

Maraschino liqueur is a fascinatingly flavored, moderately high-proof clear liqueur. It has an almost almond nuttiness and a bittersweet, sour cherry profile. It is a unique liqueur that can easily be found in most liquor stores (most likely shelved along with the cordials). If you can't find it, I recommend blending cherry brandy with a little Amaretto as a substitute.

Juice the grapefruit and strain out any seeds (you want about ½ cup or 4 ounces of grapefruit juice).

Juice 2 limes and strain out any seeds (you want about ¼ cup or 2 ounces of lime juice).

Cut the remaining lime into thin slices for garnish.

Fill a shaker with ice.

Add the grapefruit juice and lime juice to the shaker.

Add the rum and maraschino liqueur to the shaker. Vigorously shake to combine.

Strain the cocktail into coupe glasses.

Garnish with lime slices and maraschino cherries before serving.

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If Hemingway could modify his daiquiri, so can you. Personally, I like my daiquiris on the sweeter side, so I probably would've been content with Constantino Ribalaigua Vert's original recipe. If you're like me and you want to make the drink a little sweeter, feel free to add around 2 to 4 ounces of simple syrup to the shaker, along with the citrus juice, rum, and liqueur. Simple syrup is typically a 1:1 ratio of granulated sugar and liquid. You can also make a simple syrup from one or both of the citrus juices in this recipe, which would water down the drink less. Combine your selected citrus juice and sugar in a small saucepan and warm until the sugar has dissolved. Cool the citrus simple syrup at room temperature before constructing your cocktail.

If you would like to make a Hemingway Daiquiri without the alcohol, feel free to use your favorite non-alcoholic rum. Look for brands that offer a 1:1 replacement and are not overly sweet or sugary. For a non-ABV substitute for the maraschino liqueur, feel free to use maraschino cherry juice (for a sweeter daiquiri) or freshly juiced and strained white cherries.

If you would like to turn your Hemingway Daiquiri into a frozen cocktail, there are a couple of ways that I recommend. For a hyper-concentrated flavor, you can freeze the lime and grapefruit juice in an ice cube tray. Place the frozen citrus juice in a blender, add your rum and maraschino liqueur, and blend on high until smooth. For a slightly less flavorful and alcoholic version, you can combine the ingredients, as listed, in a blender with approximately 2 cups of crushed ice and blend until smooth.

For a super smooth and silky frozen cocktail, add 2 to 4 ounces of simple syrup to the mix. The resulting beverage will be almost sorbet-like and decadently smooth. For a more slushie-like or icy cocktail, finely crush or shave ice (about 2 to 3 cups) and divide it between glasses. Prepare the cocktail as instructed (filling a shaker with ice, adding the citrus juices and booze, and shaking), and pour the cocktail over the shaved ice instead of straining. For these frozen or slushie variations, you don't need to exclusively use coupe glasses. Rocks or Collins glasses work just as well. I recommend chilling your glasses before serving your frozen cocktails.

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