The classic Daiquiri & Hemingway’s Papa Doble
The Daiquiri is a bar classic dating back to the nineteenth century. Ernest Hemingway even had one named after him called the Hemingway Daiquiri or the Papa Doble. Originally built in a Collins glass over cracked ice, the Daiquiri has evolved into what we know today as a more aesthetically sophisticated cocktail drink served in a martini glass.
The Daiquiri is rather tart and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness. It consists of only three ingredients; rum, lime juice and sugar. The balancing of these three simple ingredients is what complicates the drink.
Fresh ingredients are always best when creating any cocktail. This is no different with the Daiquiri. To save time, some bars will use concentrated lime juice rather than fresh lime juice. This will throw the ratio of lime juice to simple syrup or sugar completely out of whack as the concentrated lime juice tends to be rather strong and thick. Even worse, some bartenders will use Rose’s Sweet Lime in exchange for fresh lime juice not recognizing the difference. This is a huge mistake in building the Daiquiri.
Another factor in the flavor of a Daiquiri is the rum you choose. Most rum is produced from cane that has been grown and harvested for the purpose of sugar with the rum being a side product. Not so with 10 Cane Rum. 10 Cane Rum is made from the first pressings of Trinidad sugar cane cultivated for the sole purpose of making rum. The cane is then harvested in groups of ten, thus the name, 10 Cane. The cane is small batch distilled and aged in French oak barrels, producing lighter, smoother tasting rum with fabulous golden color. The undertones of this rum remind me of caramel and vanilla with a hint of spice. It is wonderful to take in the aroma before sipping it neat or within a cocktail.
Daiquiri – ala The Intoxicologist
1 ounce Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 ounce Collins Bar Syrup
Lime Wheel Garnish
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake for fifteen seconds. Strain into a well chilled cocktail glass. Lime wheel garnish.
The Hemingway Daiquiri or Papa Doble has no simple syrup/sugar added as Hemingway had an aversion to sugar. Although his drink calls for no sugar, you can be certain it is still a marvelous concoction as it calls for a little known liqueur; Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur and also grapefruit juice. The layering effect of the flavors in this cocktail keeps the taster coming back for more and more. It is refreshing and unusual. Not the run of the mill Daiquiri, which is quite satisfying, too.
Hemingway Daiquiri (Papa Doble)
1/2 ounce Fresh Grapefruit Juice
3/4 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
(1/2 ounce Bar Syrup if you find the recipe too tart for your tastes)
Lime Wheel Garnish
Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake for fifteen seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Lime wheel garnish.
As a side note, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur is sometimes difficult to find, but can easily be found on the internet. Accept no substitutions as this is a one of a kind liqueur in a one of a kind bottle.
More interesting takes on the Daiquiri: