I know not to tug on Superman’s cape, spit in the wind, pull the mask off the Lone Ranger, or mess with Papa Hemingway, but in this case I could not help myself. Hemingway was a man of action, hard drinking, and a fan of violence in many forms. He knew liquor intimately and his eponymous Hemingway Daiquiri, which was created for him at La Florida Bar in Havana, Cuba, is one of my favorite drinks. Don’t’ tell Ernest’s ghost, but I fiddled with the ingredients, substituted Key Limes for regular limes, and created my own version of one of Papa’s favorite libations. Being a habitué of Key West where this fruit was naturalized by Spanish explorers, perhaps Papa will cut me some slack on this.
If you are headed to Las Vegas this weekend for Vegas Uncork’d, make sure to ask your bartender for a Hemingway Daiquiri. It’s a perfect cocktail for summer in sunny Las Vegas. Oh, and if you don’t spend all your time at the pool or casino, make sure to check out “Mix Masters” at Aria Resort and Casino. It provides an interactive experience in which your own cocktail creation could end up being a featured drink at Aria Resort and Casino.
- 1 ounce white rum
- ¼ ounce Luxardo
- ½ ounce ruby red grapefruit juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- ¾ fresh key lime juice (about 4 fresh key limes)
- Place all ingredients in shaker. Add ice to shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a small cocktail glass.
When I was in Cuba, I visited all of Hemingway’s old haunts… and toasted him with a daiquiri. Need to try this recipe!
Whoa, does this sound amazing! My parents used to make us frozen virgin daiquiris when we were kids…love the spiked version, too 🙂