Hemingway Daiquiri – Summer in a glass

The Hemingway Daiquiri, created for the writer Ernest Hemingway during his extensive travels in Havana, is a variation of the classic daiquiri. The combination of light rum, lime and grapefruit juices, along with maraschino liqueur makes for a bracing, complex cocktail that — unlike daiquiris that suffer from an overly sweet cloying taste — finishes nice and dry. While Hemingway took this daiquiri without added sugar, most people prefer adding a slight sweetness. 

Consider finding your preference by trying this recipe twice; once with, and once without, the optional simple syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 oz light rum
• .75 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• . 5 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• .5 oz maraschino liqueur
• OPTIONAL .25 oz brown sugar simple syrup (1:1)
• Lime wheel for garnish

Directions to make the Hemingway Daiquiri

1. Add the rum, lime and grapefruit juice along with the maraschino liqueur (and optionally, the simple syrup) into a cocktail shaker.
2. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
3. Strain the contents into a chilled coupe glass.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Experiment with the grapefruit juice, the maraschino liqueur and the simple syrup to get the perfect sweet or tartness for your preferences. To simplify things, I often opt to add a dash of syrup from the cherry jar for sweetness instead of adding the maraschino liqueur.

And of course, while not Hemingway’s choice, I add a cherry to the drink for fun.