Papa Doble (Hemingway Daiquiri)
intro
Tart, low-sugar frozen rum cocktail famously favored by Ernest Hemingway, blended with fresh citrus and maraschino liqueur for a crisp, refreshing sip.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep fresh citrus juices
Wash 2 medium pink grapefruits and 5 medium limes under cool running water. Cut each fruit in half crosswise, use a manual citrus juicer to squeeze 160 ml grapefruit juice and 100 ml lime juice, straining out any seeds or large pulp bits with a fine-mesh sieve into a small measuring cup; this takes approximately 2 minutes with no heat applied.
Measure liquid ingredients
Use a double-sided bar jigger to precisely measure 360 ml dry white rum, 40 ml maraschino liqueur, and the pre-squeezed citrus juices, pouring all measured liquid ingredients directly into a high-speed blender carafe. Do not add ice yet to avoid premature melting and over-dilution, and keep all ingredients chilled for best results.
Add crushed ice
Measure 8 cups of loose, dry crushed ice and add it to the blender carafe with the liquid ingredients. Do not use large solid ice cubes, as they will create an uneven texture and over-dilute the drink by taking longer to break down during blending.
Blend to slushy texture
Secure the blender lid tightly, blend on high speed with no heat applied for exactly 20 seconds until the mixture is smooth, thick, and uniformly slushy with no large ice chunks remaining. Stop and scrape down the sides of the carafe with a rubber spatula if any ice sticks to the edges, then blend for 5 more seconds if needed to reach a consistent texture.
Prep serving glasses
While the blender runs, place 4 chilled coupe glasses on a serving tray. Cut a small 1 cm slit into the flesh side of each of the 4 lime wedges so they can sit securely on the glass rim once the drink is poured, no heat required for this prep step.
Pour and garnish drinks
Turn off the blender, remove the lid, and pour the slushy cocktail evenly between the 4 coupe glasses, filling each to 1 cm below the rim to avoid spills as the slush settles. Slide one pre-cut lime wedge onto the rim of each glass, and serve immediately before the frozen slush melts and dilutes the drink.
Tips
2.Do not over-blend the cocktail, as excess blending will melt the ice too quickly, resulting in a watery, weak drink instead of the signature thick, frosty slush texture.
3.Resist the urge to add simple syrup to this recipe; the small amount of maraschino liqueur provides just enough subtle, nutty sweetness to balance the tart citrus, staying true to Hemingway’s preference for low-sugar drinks.
Made this for our taco Tuesday potluck last night and everyone was begging for the recipe! So bright and not too sweet, exactly what I want in a summer cocktail. Game changer for my go-to happy hour rotation.
Super easy to whip up after a long work day! I only had regular limes instead of key limes and it still turned out great, my husband drank two before dinner was even done. Will be making again for our Fourth of July cookout.
Tried this after a long day on the trails and OMG it hit so hard. The grapefruit twist is chef’s kiss, way better than the cloyingly sweet daiquiris I used to order at bars. 10/10 no notes.
I hosted a little Hemingway book club meetup last weekend and obviously had to serve these! All my literary nerd friends went crazy for them, such a fun thematic touch that actually tastes incredible too.
Blended these up with a little extra ice for pool day last Saturday and they were perfect for 105 degree weather. I cut the maraschino liqueur a tiny bit because I don’t love super cherry-forward drinks and it worked great for my taste.
Just mixed up my first one of these and wow, why did I sleep on Hemingway daiquiris for so long? So crisp, no weird cloying sugary syrup overload, takes literally 5 minutes to throw together. Absolute new happy hour staple.
Wait, is there a non-alcoholic swap for the rum that actually tastes good here? I’m sober curious but love the sound of that grapefruit-lime combo!
This was solid, but it was a little too tart for my liking straight off the recipe. I stirred in a half teaspoon of simple syrup and it was perfect for my sweet tooth, just a heads up for anyone who hates that mouth-puckering sour kick.
Pro tip: Chill your coupe glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before you pour this in. It stays ice cold so much longer, no watery diluted mess halfway through sipping. Game changer!
Just made this with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice from the tree in my backyard and it is UNREAL. Tastes like vacation in a glass. I’ll be making these every weekend all summer long.
Served these alongside my grilled shrimp skewers at our backyard BBQ last weekend and they were a match made in heaven. The bright citrus cut right through the smoky shrimp perfectly, everyone went back for seconds.
Super easy recipe, I just wish it made a bigger batch! I was mixing up individual drinks for my friends for 20 minutes straight at our happy hour, lol. Anyone tried doubling or tripling this for a crowd?
I used to make these at the cocktail bar I worked at and this recipe is spot on. The ratio is exactly right, no weird added frills, just the good stuff people order over and over.
My partner and I did a little at-home date night where we made Cuban food and these daiquiris, and it felt like we were on a little trip to Key West! SO good, we didn’t even miss going out to a fancy restaurant.
Wait, I followed the recipe exactly but mine came out really bitter? Did I mess something up? I used bottled lime and grapefruit juice from the grocery store, is that the problem?
OMG this is so much better than the sugary frozen daiquiris I used to whip up for girls’ night! We tossed a little frozen pineapple in the blender with it last night and it was chef’s kiss. 10/10 would recommend.
This was super easy to make, but I didn’t have any maraschino liqueur on hand so I used a little cherry syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries. Turned out pretty good, but I’m curious how much better it is with the actual liqueur?
Made these for my dad for Father’s Day! He’s a huge Hemingway fan and loves old school cocktails, and he said it was the best daiquiri he’s ever had. Even my teen cousin who only drinks hard seltzers tried a sip and asked for her own non-alcoholic version!
Wait, can I make this as a frozen drink instead of shaken over ice? I love slushy cocktails in the summer and this flavor combo sounds perfect for that.