Papa Hemingway's Daiquiri
INGREDIENTS
- 3 oz blanco rum
- ½ oz maraschino liqueur
- 1½ oz fresh grapefruit juice
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- Garnish: Lime wedge
INSTRUCTIONS
Also known by various aliases, including Papa Doble or Ernest Hemingway Special, this distinctly different Daiquiri was created for Hemingway by Constantino Ribalaigua, the famed Cuban bartender at El Floridita in Havana. Living in Cuba during Prohibition, Hemingway could indulge in Havana Club Silver Dry rum, and preferred his Daiquiris without sugar, cold and sour, and with a bit more rum than the traditional Daiquiri. If you prefer a lighter, sweeter version, use 2 ounces of rum and add a teaspoon of sugar.
Combine all ingredients but the garnish in a blender with 1/2 cup ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze the lime wedge over the drink, and drop it in.
VARIATION: LA FLORIDITA DAIQUIRI
- 2 ounces light rum
- 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1½ ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Prepare in the same manner as Papa Hemingway's Daiquiri,
VIDEO HOW-TO
NOTES
According to legend, around the late 1890S, in Cuba's Daiquirí mountains, an American engineer came up with this now-famous rum- based concoction in an attempt to please his guests once the gin had disappeared. Given rum's status as the highly esteemed "milk of Cuba," however, it's likely that this combination had been enjoyed before. Soon Havana became the Daiquiri mecca, especially the El Floridita Bar, where legendary bartender Constantino Ribalaigua introduced the frozen version and elevated the Daiquiri to perfection. By straining the drink after blending it with crushed ice, he avoided further dilution while retaining the frosty character.
In its pure form, the Daiquiri is simple yet sublime, blending the delicate sweetness of rum with sugar and the juice of one lime. The secret of a perfect one is not just in the balance of ingredients, but in squeezing the lime with your fingers to allow the oils from the rind to mingle with the juice, creating the Daiquiri's signature intensity and flavor. Always use fresh lime juice; to use Rose's lime juice in a Daiquiri would be an unthinkable travesty.
