Hemingway Daiquiri

Sometimes called the Papa Doble or the Hemingway Special, the Hemingway Daiquiri is quite obviously a twist on the Classic Daiquiri named after famous writer Ernest Hemingway. The twist comes from the addition of Grapefruit Juice and Maraschino Liqueur to add further citrus tastes and some cherry sweetness.

Although legend has it the Hemingway prefered his Daiquiri without sugar, this recipe calls for a little bit of optional Simple Syrup, just in case you need to take the edge off all that citrus. This recipe has a little less sugar than a standard Daiquiri, but it should be OK thanks to the Maraschino Liqueur. If things are too sweet or not sweet enough, adjust the sugar to your preference.

Total Time 5

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

60 mL White Rum
15 mL Maraschino Liqueur
40 mL Grapefruit Juice
15 mL Lime Juice
10 mL Simple Syrup* (optional)
Garnish with a lime wheel

Instructions

Put White Rum, Maraschino Liqueur, Grapefruit Juice, Lime Juice, and Simple Syrup in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake until very cold.
Strain into a Coupe glass.
Garnish and serve.

Notes

*You can find our Simple Syrup recipe here.

The Hemingway Daiquiri was originally a modification of the Daiquiri made at Floridita in Cuba, which Ernest Hemingway was said to frequent during his time. He preferred his Daiquiris with no sugar and a double shot of Rum. Over time the other ingredients were added and now we have the drink we have today.

Even More Information on the Hemingway Daiquiri

The Hemingway Daiquiri is a fabulous spin on a great classic cocktail. We’ll try to refrain from too many comparisons to the Classic Daiquiri, but we’ll likely have trouble restraining ourselves. We just love both cocktails so much. Like the Beachcomber Cocktail, we like to think that the Hemingway Daiquiri does a lot to rebalance the traditional recipe. While the Grapefruit Juice adds more tartness than the original, this is combatted well by the Maraschino Liqueur and the Simple Syrup. All in all the Hemingway Daiquiri is a bit more tart than the original, but in a pleasing way thanks to the Maraschino. There’s complexities and subtleties in there that the original three ingredient cocktail simply doesn’t have.

And while we love those simple original classic cocktails, they’re often used as lovely building blocks to create something even better later on. We’re not saying to completely ditch the original. The original recipe is cherished and remembered for a reason, but sometimes approaching things again can be nice too.

Will this recipe still work if I try to make more than one in a cocktail shaker?

Yes, but don’t attempt to make more than two cocktails at a time. The Hemingway Daiquiri has a decent amount of liquid in it, and all that liquid needs to be well shaken. If there’s too much in your cocktail shaker, you won’t be able to actually shake everything! Be sensible and take your time when making any cocktail in order to achieve the best results.

If I make a Hemingway Daiquiri, will it keep for later?

Likely no. Something happens to the citrus juices when they’re shaken, they get slightly aerated and change consistency somewhat. If you don’t drink this cocktail right away, you’ll lose that aeration. If you’re making a Hemingway Daiquiri only a few minutes before drinking, that’s fine. Just don’t leave it for too long.

Is there a good time or place for a Hemingway Daiquiri?

Considering this recipe came to us from Cuba, we’d say the best place to have a Hemingway Daiquiri is in Cuba! If you can’t make it to Cuba, any Caribbean island will do. Barring that, like its cousin, the Hemingway Daiquiri is great for warm and tropical weather.

Of course we can’t always find our way to warmer climates, but hopefully you live in a part of the world where it gets relatively warm sometimes. You’re more than welcome to have one of these during the winter months, but it’s most likely a cocktail you want to wait until the summer for.

Is the Hemingway Daiquiri a strong cocktail?

Ernest Hemingway was known to like a drink or two (or three). Obviously he liked this drink so much it was named after him. Despite that, the Hemingway Daiquiri is only moderately stronger than the original with 15 mL additional White Rum and then the 15 mL of Maraschino Liqueur. Of course this make the Hemingway version of the Daiquiri have more alcohol, but all in all it’s still in the general bounds of what’s considered normal for a cocktail; it’s a little more, but really not that much more alcohol.

What’s the best kind of music to listen to while drinking a Hemingway Daiquiri

We’re going to be a bit unusual here and say don’t listen to music when having a Hemingway Daiquiri. Read a book! As one of the most well known authors in the world, you shouldn’t have trouble tracking down an Ernest Hemingway novel to read while having one of these drinks. If you’re less familiar with Hemingway, you may not know that, while he greatly loved as a writer, some people really don’t like his writing. His writing style can be quite terse and a little too much to the point for some. But, like a cocktail, you can’t make a decision on whether you like it or not until you experience it for yourself.

So make one of these cocktails, grab a book, and see what the big deal is about.

Other cocktail recipes for you to try

Other than trying a Classic Daiquiri on conjunction with this one (if you haven’t already), there’s plenty of other great Rum cocktails you may be interested in. We’ve linked to the relevant site sections below.

Top 10 Rum cocktail recipes: to make things easier for you, we’ve created a list of the best Rum cocktail recipes out there. Check them out!

All Rum cocktail recipes: or find your own favourites by browsing all of our Rum based cocktails.

All White Rum cocktail recipes: if it’s just White Rum you’re into, we have you covered. Take a look over here.