Classic Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe

According to legend, Hemingway walked into El Floridita one night; it was here he tried a Daiquiri the bartender had prepared and offered the inventive feedback of cutting the sugar and doubling the rum. That recipe—with a whopping four ounces of rum and no sugar—became known as the Papa Doble (“Papa” being Hemingway’s Cuban nickname).

To cater to a wider variety of tastes, El Floridita lightened up on the rum and added maraschino liqueur for a hint of sweetness. This cocktail came to be known as the Hemingway Special, or Hemingway Daiquiri. While not quite as intense as the Papa Doble, it’s still a tart, boozy drink that’s now officially recognized by the International Bartenders Association. When you prepare a Hemingway Daiquiri, you may find that it’s just too tart for your tastes. If so, you’re not alone—many mixologists add a quarter ounce of simple syrup to the recipe to help it go down just a little smoother.

Classic daiquiris are the base recipe for all other daiquiris, and they call for just three ingredients—rum, lime juice, and simple syrup—to give a perfect balance of sweet and sour. The Hemingway Daiquiri calls for a combination of citrus—fresh lime juice and fresh grapefruit juice—and honors Hemingway’s traditional disdain for sugary drinks by opting for maraschino liqueur as the sweetener instead.