Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe

History can sometimes be  like a game of telephone. While the story of Hemingway being associated with the Hemingway Daiquiri is a bit elusive, it doesn’t make the end result any less delicious!

I don’t think Mr. Hemingway would approve of the modern day adaptation of this cocktail, but not all of us have the tastebuds of Mr. Hemingway! AKA Liquor with a splash of citrus!

I am going to show you a recipe for the Hemingway Daiquiri that adds just a tad bit of sweetness to the otherwise tart and citrus forward cocktail that precedes it. It is DELICIOUS and EASY to make so let’s get right too it!

“Hemingway Daiquiri”

What’s the Story?

Havana, Cuba was one of the places that Ernest Hemingway, an American Novelist , liked to frequent. The one thing that isn’t elusive about this story is that Hemingway loved to DRINK, and the drinks he ordered no doubt were only enjoyed by him.  Legend has it that Hemingway was looking for a restroom one day and stumbled upon the El Floridita. The bartenders were busy making frozen daiquiri’s and Hemingway was intrigued. He tried a sip, and then said

“Thats good, but I’d prefer it without the sugar..and DOUBLE the rum.”

They called his drink of choice the Papa Doble. Basically what Hemingway preferred was an icy cold double of rum with just a splash of lime! Legend also has it that Hemingway himself holds the record for the most DOUBLE DAIQUIRI’S thrown back in a single sitting!

Over time Grapefruit Juice was added along with Maraschino Liqueur. The bar had to evolve a few more flavor notes to appeal to the public and of course coin the daiquiri as the “Hemingway Daiquiri”. I personally don’t think Hemingway would dig the evolved version of this cocktail, but the El Floridita gets to hold some history and memory within it’s walls which makes it a place to remember for the ages!

What You Will Need

Alcohol:

 

For this recipe you will need your own choice of White rum, and Maraschino Liqueur! My choice of rum for this recipe is Flor de Caña 4 year rum extra seco. This rum has a vanilla scent and a flavor or orange and white chocolate. It has a dry finish and really lets other flavors sing. It is a smooth and delicious rum to mix cocktails with!

Maraschino Liqueur is probably one of my favorite Liqueurs flavor wise. It adds such a unique flavor and lift to cocktails. It has a wild berry flavor with a little bit of spice! You really taste this on the back end of the Hemingway Daiquiri and I think it gives this cocktail the interesting taste curve it needs to make it memorable!

Citrus:

Let’s talk citrus! For this Daiquiri we will be needed 3/4 oz of FRESH Lime Juice and 1/2 oz of FRESH Grapefruit Juice. I will always say it until I’m blue in the face, FRESH fruit juice is the way to go. Once you try your cocktails with it you will never turn back. It’s a game changer! Make sure to save a little bit of your lime to make your Lime Wheel Garnish!

The tool I’m using in the photo above is a hand-pressed stainless steel citrus juicer. It has changed my life in regards to making cocktails. Not only can I juice EXACTLY what I need, but it also has a pour spout attached to it that pours straight into my Jigger! There’s never ANY mess and it’s the most wonderful tool I’ve stumbled upon. It’s also very affordable, so if you want one just like mine click right here!

Don’t forget if you are making larger batches of juices label, date, and store them in your fridge! I don’t like to keep any of my fresh squeezed juice past 5 days to assure freshness and quality of taste.

Simple Syrup:

I always laugh a little at who ever gave Simple Syrup its name because they were just dead on. IT’S SIMPLE. Get this, the ratio is just 1:1. 1 part White Sugar, to 1 part Hot Water. You can make as little of it or as much as you want!

I like to store my Syrups and Juices in these little glass bottles with pour spouts! They are the perfect size for a home bar and make for a really clean and professional presentation. Your Simple Syrup should stay good for about a month! So if you’re going to be making recipes all month long go ahead and make yourself a larger batch to continuously use! On amazon they have an amazing set of these glass bottles with spouts and labels. Check it out right here ! 

Bar Supplies:

So for this Cocktail we will need a some basic supplies.

First thing we will need is our Boston Shaker! I have always used a Boston Shaker in my bartending experience and I find it to be the best! You get a beautiful shake and a proper dilution of the contents of your drink. You can get one just like mine on Amazon if you do not have your own RIGHT HERE!

Next up is a Bar Jigger! Bar jiggers are how you measure the contents of your cocktail. Most bars use a jigger like I have posted above. In this Daiquiri recipe there are a couple of 1/4 oz measurements so you will definitely want to make sure your measurements are precise for balance. I will link one on amazon for you RIGHT HERE if you do not already have your own! I will also link another beginner style jigger RIGHT HERE for anyone who is just starting out!

Of course you will want to have your handy Hawthorne Strainer! Your strainer will block ice and any other contents in your tin from falling into your beautiful glassware! Presentation is huge in bartending and you always want your cocktail to look perfect.

Along with your Hawthorne Strainer you will also want a Fine Cocktail Strainer for this Hemingway Daiquiri. We want to use a fine cocktail strainer because this drink is served UP in a couple glass! This means that there will be NO ice in your drink at all. You will hold your Fine Cocktail Strainer right under your Hawthorne Strainer when you are releasing the contents of your shaken tin into your glassware. This lets the Daiquiri go through a double straining process. The fine cocktail strainer will stop any additional tiny ice shards that may have slipped through the Hawthorne Strainer. If you do not have one, here is one from Amazon linked RIGHT HERE!

There is no ice in our final cocktail, but we will need some ice to use while we shake our tins!

I do not have a fridge with fresh ice right now so I use these perfect silicone ice trays! It does the trick and I really like how even the cubes come out. If you have ice in your fridge feel free to use it as we are only using ice in this cocktail to shake! If you want an ice tray just like mine check it out RIGHT HERE on Amazon! This one even comes with a lid which I wish I had.

Lastly you will need Glassware! The glassware we are using in this cocktail is a Coupe. If you’re using a coupe, the drink will always be served up! This cocktail requires no ice in the glass. You will want to keep your coupe glass in the freezer before preparing your drink. This assures your glassware will be icy cold and hold the contents at a cooler temperature for longer. We all love a nice cool drink!

I personally love getting my glassware at good will or stores like bed bath and beyond, local bar supplies shops, target, or even on Amazon! Amazon has a great set if you wanted some sent over RIGHT HERE!

I do recommend that if you are starting to create multiple cocktails at home, you should invest in your own personal little Bartending Kit. Most come with everything you will need as a beginner while others provide several items for more complex creations. I will put links to both a beginners set, and a more advanced set on Amazon below! 

Beginners Kit : HERE

Advanced Kit : HERE

Let’s Build!