Properly Sauced: The Hemingway Daiquiri
By Karl Klockars in Food on Feb 26, 2010 8:00PM
If you're anything like us, late February has you crawling the walls and begging whatever deity you ascribe to for a break to the grey skies and constant snow. The pervasive effects of SAD generally have us craving some sort of tropical respite, and if there's no way to spend the next three weeks in the Florida Keys then boozy rum drinks are the best way to combat the winter blahs.
A traditional daiquiri is simply rum, lime juice and simple syrup, shaken and strained. It's not frozen, nor overly saccharine and definitely not shot from a slurpee machine. It is simple enough to put on the back of a business card. However, when Papa Hemingway was camped out at the El Floridita Bar in Havana, he (or the bartender that translated his slurred español) created his own take on the cocktail.
The Hemingway Daiquiri
Juice of 1/2 grapefruit
Juice of 1 lime
2 oz. White Rum (we used Ron Matusalem Platano for the Cuban connection)
Dash of Maraschino Liqueur
Juice your grapefruit and lime and pour into a shaker. Should be about 4oz. or so, to which you add your 2oz. of white rum. To that add just a few drops of maraschino liqueur, so as to cut the acid and tartness of the drink. After some light searching at a couple different stores, this liqueur couldn't be found, and rather than compromise and just use cherry schnapps or brandy, I called an audible and picked up a bottle of Thatcher's Pomegranate Liqueur. It provides the same roundness and sweetness that the maraschino would have provided, so I consider it a fair exchange.
Shake, strain, serve straight up. Should you be inclined to add a last layer of tartness to the drink (and get all mixologist as well) slice a piece of peel from your grapefruit and squeeze it, rind side out, over your drink. It's amazing how much difference those essential citrus oils from one tiny piece of rind can make, but it's significant. In addition, you can garnish with a wedge of grapefruit if you see fit. As with Rob's Mai Tai, no goofy umbrellas need apply.
Now you're free to imagine yourself sipping it beneath Carribean skies, feet firmly in the sand or kicked up in the hammock, relaxed and without a care in the world. But snapping back to reality from that fantasy could be hazardous to your sanity, so envision at your own risk. Healthy amounts of fruit juice and rum will do wonders for reviving your spirits on a grey Friday afternoon, however.