Hemingway Daiquiri Cocktail Recipe

The Hemingway daiquiri is a fun and refreshing Cuban cocktail.

Made with white rum, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit juice, and fresh lime, it’s a sophisticated drink you’ll adore.

And unlike its frozen and fruity cousins, this drink is bright, tart, and citrusy to the max.

What Is a Hemingway Daiquiri? 

If you’re a fan of sweet frozen drinks, this might not be for you.

But if you like cold rum cocktails with plenty of kick, I think you’ll love it!

Also known as Papa Doble, the Hemingway daiquiri is based on a classic. It features white rum, grapefruit juice, real lime juice, and maraschino liqueur.

And as you might’ve guessed, it’s named after Ernest Hemingway himself. 

Supposedly, a bartender at the El Floridita in Cuba made the cocktail just for him.

Except his original 1920s drink called for double the rum and zero sugar. Talk about tart!

What Does It Taste Like?

Hear the word “daiquiri” and you probably think of sweet, frozen cocktails with a little umbrella.

But that’s not the Hemingway daiquiri. 

This cocktail is light, boozy, refreshing, and just a little sweet. Above all else, though, the drink is tart. 

The lime and grapefruit grab your tastebuds, and the white rum is just enough to warm your throat.

You’ll get balance from the sweet maraschino liqueur. But it’s only a hint.

All the mixers enhance the natural sweetness of the rum rather than mask it. That means you’ll want to get decent white rum!

Ingredients

The Hemingway daiquiri cocktail recipe is quite simple.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this drink. Most of which you probably have on hand right now!

Here’s what you need for this recipe:

• White Rum – The original recipe calls for white rum. It’s sweet, refreshing, and light with a clean finish. Use a quality brand like Bacardi, Havana Club, or Caña Brava.

• Maraschino Liqueur – A dry and lightly sweet clear cherry liquor. It adds a touch of sweetness and color. 

• Lime – Use fresh lime juice for mixing and a wedge for garnishing.

• Grapefruit Juice – Use fresh grapefruit juice or a natural store-bought brand like Simply. Anything with added sugar will make the drink sweeter than intended.

How to Make a Hemingway Daiquiri 

Aside from juicing the citrus, making a Hemingway daiquiri is quick and easy.

Just chill a glass, grab a cocktail shaker, and you’re minutes away from cocktail hour. 

Here’s how to make it:

1. Shake, shake, shake. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add rum, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, and grapefruit juice. Shake until well-chilled.

2. Strain. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass.

3. Garnish. Add a lime wheel. Serve and enjoy!

How to Make it Frozen 

Prefer your cocktails blended? Make a frozen Hemingway daiquiri! 

It’s a great blended cocktail to enjoy with friends. Especially on a warm, summer day by the pool. 

It’s super easy, too. Here’s how to make it:

1. Blend, blend, blend. Multiply the ingredients by the number of servings. Then, add it all to a blender with ice and let it do its thing.

2. Pour the cocktail into chilled glasses. Add lime wheels and umbrellas for garnish. Serve immediately.

If you’re a big fan of frozen drinks, I highly recommend splurging on a decent blender. If you try to crush big chunks of ice in something cheap, it might break.

Other Daiquiri Recipes

Want to try some other easy daiquiri recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:

Strawberry Daiquiri
Frozen Mango Daiquiri
Classic Daiquiri
Banana Daiquiri