Ernest Hemingway said it best, “Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares, if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in it’s bars.” He himself was quite the iconic traveller. From Spain to Africa, the man learned the world at his own pace with a drink in his hand. And these drinks made star appearances in his writing as well. I remember reading For Whom The Bell Tolls and learning about the ritual of dripped absinthe giving Robert respite from the horrors of the war.
In the 30’s and 40’s, living and writing in Cuba, he spent a LOT of time at the El Floridita drinking something made just for him – El Papa Dobles. I don’t mean gracefully sipping these beverages while staring prophetically into the ocean while the sun set ever so romantically over the horizon. I mean drinking 6-8 in an afternoon and not slowing down with the light. The man wasn’t shy about enjoying these beverages with gay abandon.
Hemingway drank Dobles comprised of white rum, the juice of two limes, half a grapefruit, and maraschino liqueur. He once said this drink “had no taste of alcohol and felt, as you drank them, the way downhill glacier skiing feels running through powder snow.” With Havana as a backdrop and his hotel down the street, both he and his drink made themselves at home in the lore of international cocktail culture and made the daiquiri spring onto cocktail lists around the world.
Ingredients
Equipment: Chilled coupe, shaker, strainer
2 oz white rum (I like Flor de Caña’s)
½ oz fresh grapefruit juice
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
Twist of grapefruit for garnish
Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe and garnish with a twist of grapefruit.
