Hemingway Special Daiquiri (Papa Doble)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.4% ABV ∙
The Hemingway Special Daiquiri, often called the Papa Doble, is a sugar-free Daiquiri of white rum, grapefruit juice, maraschino liqueur and lime, served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 60 mlGrapefruit juice 40 mlMaraschino liqueur 15 mlLime juice 15 ml
- Strain into a large cocktail glass
Tips
- There's no syrup in this one, so squeeze the grapefruit fresh; its own sweetness and bitterness do the work.
- Go easy on the maraschino: a splash over the 15 ml and the drink turns cloying.
History
The Hemingway Special Daiquiri was created in the 1930s at El Floridita in Havana by head bartender Constantino "Constante" Ribalaigua Vert for Ernest Hemingway. After tasting the bar's standard Daiquiri, Hemingway asked for it with double the rum and no sugar. The stronger, unsweetened pour became known first as "Daiquiri Like Papa" and then "Papa Doble," a nod to Hemingway's Cuban nickname "Papa." Later, maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice were added to the recipe. Some accounts credit the change to Ribalaigua, others to a later Floridita bartender, Antonio Meilan. The drink was renamed the Hemingway Special, though the older name Papa Doble stuck to it as well.
Ribalaigua typically blended the drink with crushed ice rather than shaking it, following El Floridita's house style for Daiquiris. This Papa Doble recipe is the shaken version. The drink is a drier, more citrus-forward departure from El Floridita's standard house Daiquiri, dropping the sugar in favor of grapefruit juice and maraschino. The Hemingway Special is recognized by the International Bartenders Association as an official cocktail.
FAQ
What is in a Hemingway Special (Papa Doble)?
60 ml white rum, 40 ml grapefruit juice, 15 ml maraschino liqueur, and 15 ml lime juice. There is no sugar syrup; the grapefruit and maraschino supply the sweetness.
Is a Hemingway Special shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The citrus juices need the aeration and quick chill of a shake; stirring would leave the drink flat and under-diluted.
What glass is a Hemingway Special served in?
A cocktail glass, served up with no ice, since it is shaken and then strained.
How strong is a Hemingway Special?
It comes in at about 15.4% ABV, fairly light since grapefruit and lime juice make up a large share of the pour.
How is a Hemingway Special different from a regular Daiquiri?
A regular Daiquiri is rum, lime, and sugar syrup. The Hemingway Special replaces the syrup with grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur, so it tastes drier and more bitter, with a cherry-almond note.
