Ernest Hemingway’s favorite libation when he was down in Havana Cuba back in the 1940s. In fact, it was one of the ONLY libations he could enjoy… so he had a LOT of them!
HISTORY
During the 30s and 40s, Hemingway took a break from writing. One of his favorite spots to unwind was Havana, Cuba. And there was a watering hole that became famous for hosting this legend of American literature, the La Floridita bar.
The spot is known as a tourist destination, and for the simple fact that Ernest Hemingway had his drink there very frequently; this was coined the “Papa Doble” — due to its considerable size.
This drink is not much different than the classic daiquiri that La Floridita is used to serving. Hemingway was a diabetic, so he had the drink “modified” a bit so he could enjoy without any health complications. Thus, the bartender Constantino added grapefruit juice and less sugar. The drink that Hemingway insisted on was way too imbalanced. So, the bartenders decided that there could be an addition of maraschino liqueur to balance it out.
Hemingway liked the drink so much, and he was such an avid drinker… that he bragged about how much he could actually drink. He would order his daiquiri and even ask for them to be made DOUBLE! There, the bartenders came to call the drink the “PAPA DOBLE” because of its size.
Hence, the Hemingway daiquiri was born!
RECIPE
Normally, the recipe for the Hemingway daiquiri would be made in a blender. But today, we will simply put it in a shaker and serve it in a coupe glass.
2oz (60mL) rum (lighter is better)
0.75oz (22mL) fresh grapefruit juice
0.5oz (15mL) fresh lime juice
0.25oz (7.5mL) Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
0.25oz (7.5mL) simple syrup (1:1)
Shake all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker for about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish: Grapefruit twist
Jonathan Echavarria 