The daiquirí was one of the favorite drinks of writer Ernest Hemingway and president John F. Kennedy. Hemingway was a thirsty guy, make no mistake. And although he probably put away booze of all levels of quality, given the omnivorous nature of his appetite, he did have some noted favorites about which he was pretty particular. This drink is one of them.

History has it that the Hemingway Daiquiri, also known as the Papa Doble, was concocted during his time living in Havana, Cuba, by Constantino Ribalaigua, who tended bar at El Floridita. Hemingway probably drank his without the sugar, but we are including it in this recipe since most people like a little sweetness in this strong cocktail.



“Daiquiri” means a frozen, brightly colored fruit-and-booze slurry sucked out of a Styrofoam cup while stumbling around Bourbon Street, well, this isn’t the same thing. This is a lightly sweetened cocktail served in a Martini glass and put away like a man who knows how to hold his liquor...

The recipe calls for maraschino liqueur, made from cherries. A bottle of Luxardo maraschino liqueur will last for a long time in your liquor cabinet, but there are a handful of excellent cocktails that call for it, and it’s a very distinctive flavor that’s worth having available to you. If it was good enough for Papa, it damn well better be good enough for you.

2 oz White Rum
.75 oz Lime Juice
1 tsp Maraschino
1 tsp Grapefruit Juice
1 tsp Sugar
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Serve frappe.

Build all ingredients over crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Give it a quick, sharp shake or two and pour into the Collins glass. Garnish with part of a spent lime shell.