The Hemingway Daiquiri – The recipe and its history

Our August kit was “The Daiquiri Box”, and featured some great Panamanian Rums to make some classic Cuban recipes. Read on below for more on the man who inspired one of these, and the story of how the recipe came about.

Ernest Hemingway is something of a legend in the cocktail world. He has written extensively about his travels and the various drinks he enjoyed around the world, and even had a fair few created for him, such as this one created at La Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba by bartender Constantino Ribalaigua Vert.

Hemingway was affectionately known as “Papa” in Havana, and supposedly tried his first Daiquiri at La Floridita and remarked “That’s good, but I prefer mine with twice the rum and no sugar.” Effectively asking for a quadruple shot of rum and a splash of lime juice! His nickname, and the request for twice the rum, caused Constantino to name this new version a “Papa Doble” in his honour.

Over time, La Floridita have evolved the original “Papa Doble” recipe by adding maraschino and grapefruit into the one presented here, and it is now know as a “Hemingway Special Daiquiri”. I’ve tweaked their recipe very slightly and removed the “special” from the name, although I mean the great man no offence by it!

– Ernest Hemingway enjoying what looks like a very large neat rum!

The (TASTE) Hemingway Daiquiri

  • 2 shots Rum (we used Ron Cortez or Ron Abuelo in our kits)

  • 3/4 shot Freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

  • 1/4 shot Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

  • 1/4 shot  2:1 sugar syrup

  • thick piece of grapefruit peel to garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker, fill with cubed ice and shake for 10-15 seconds. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a thick piece of grapefruit peel.

The (Original) Papa Doble

  • 4 shots White Rum

  • 1/2 shot Freshly squeezed lime juice

  • lime peel to garnish

The (Modified) Hemingway Special

  • 3 shots White Rum

  • 1/2 shot Freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

  • 1/2 shot Freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1/4 shot Marashicno Liqueur

  • lime peel to garnish

Check out our new kit for this month,
or buy your own Daiquiri Kit now!

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