Rum · Shake
Hemingway Special
A Daiquiri with grapefruit: plenty of rum, lime, and a dash of cherry liqueur. The grapefruit makes it more bitter than the original, and it's only as sweet as the liqueur allows.
As of: · Havana, El Floridita
Images generated with AI · Text AI-assisted, editorially reviewed
Rum · Shake
A Daiquiri with grapefruit: plenty of rum, lime, and a dash of cherry liqueur. The grapefruit makes it more bitter than the original, and it's only as sweet as the liqueur allows.
As of: · Havana, El Floridita
At first you taste citrus: lime brings sourness, grapefruit adds a tart, slightly bitter edge. Beneath that lies the rum, and quite noticeably so, since at sixty milliliters it's the largest ingredient. The cherry liqueur sweetens the drink further, on top of the grapefruit juice's natural sweetness. It's just enough to soften the acidity—no more. No sugar goes into the glass. That's why the drink tastes dry, even though it smells of fruit. Shaking with ice makes it ice-cold and slightly frothy. In the end, a tart note lingers on the tongue.
A drink for warm days and for the start of the evening. It's refreshing but not harmless: sixty milliliters of rum is a solid amount. Anyone who enjoys grapefruit juice at the breakfast table will feel right at home here. Everyone else might find it too tart. Don't expect sweetness. It doesn't pair well with food—but it shines all the more on its own.
What matters
Maraschino sweetens the drink; grapefruit juice also contains natural sugar. Additional sugar syrup has no place in this version. Squeeze lime and grapefruit fresh, since bottled juice tastes flatter. Taste the grapefruit juice beforehand: depending on the fruit, it can be mild or quite tart. If it turns out very bitter, use a little less before adjusting the liqueur. Shake vigorously—ten to fifteen seconds is enough.
The drink is named after Ernest Hemingway and is linked to the El Floridita bar in Havana. There, Constantino Ribalaigua created an entire range of Daiquiri variations. The addition of grapefruit and cherry liqueur was the result of a longer evolution. One caveat matters: Hemingway is said to have preferred his Daiquiri especially dry. This personal version need not be identical to the recipe considered standard today. So anyone ordering the drink today gets the later version.
In the same direction
Rum and Cognac share the base, orange liqueur bridges the two, and lemon pushes back against them. Between the Sheets is a strong, dry citrus cocktail in the style of a Sidecar.
Zum RezeptA simple drink from Cuba made with sugarcane spirit, honey and lime. The water is a core part of the recipe, not just melted ice. The result is a sweet-and-sour cup that you stir directly in the glass.
Zum RezeptRum and cola with a splash of fresh lime. The ten milliliters of juice make all the difference compared to plain rum and cola: they add acidity and cut some of the cola's sweetness. A long, simple drink.
Zum Rezept