Havana, Cuba

Hemingway Daiquiri

Also known as Papa Doble, Hemingway Special

A tart, bracing rum sour with maraschino and grapefruit layered in, built for a writer who hated sweet drinks.

tartcitrusgrapefruitcherryrumdrybracingaperitifclassic

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with sharp lime and grapefruit, backed by the warm bite of rum. Mid-palate, the maraschino comes through as a faint, dry cherry stone sweetness that never quite overpowers the acid. It finishes dry and slightly bitter, leaving a clean, citrusy sting.

Who will like it

This is for drinkers who like their sours extra tart and avoid anything that tastes like a fruit punch.

When to drink

Drink this before dinner when you want something cold and sharp to wake up your palate.

Ordering tip

Ask for it served up in a coupe if you don't want the ice watering down that tartness as you sip.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $10–$15Glass: CoupeBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is sharp and lean, built around a heavy dose of citrus that hits you right away. The maraschino adds a weird, dry cherry note in the background that keeps it from tasting like plain lime juice. It is not a sweet cocktail by any stretch — the grapefruit makes sure of that. You get a cold, bracing sip that wakes up the sides of your tongue. It drinks fast and leaves you wanting another round.

Finish: The finish is short and dry, with lingering grapefruit pith bitterness and a faint cherry stone echo.

Primary tastes

sourfruitybitter

Secondary

sweetfloral

Aroma

citrus zestdry cherryrum cane

Bitternessmoderate bitterness
The grapefruit adds a noticeable bitter edge that sits underneath the lime.
Sweetnessfairly dry
There is barely any sugar here, just a faint dry sweetness from the maraschino.
Sournessvery sour
The double hit of lime and grapefruit makes this one of the sharpest classic cocktails.
Strengthmoderately strong
The rum pushes through the citrus clearly, making its presence known without burning.
Refreshingvery refreshing
The high acidity and cold serving temperature make this drink extremely crisp and thirst-quenching.
Complexitymoderately complex
The grapefruit and maraschino add layers to the standard sour template, but the core remains straightforward.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on White Rum. A dry, clean white rum works best; avoid overly sweet or funky rums

Before you start

Stick your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes before you start. Squeeze your lime and grapefruit fresh — bottled juice will make this taste flat.

Ingredients

White RumBase Spirit60ml
Lime JuiceJuiceFreshly squeezed30ml
Grapefruit JuiceJuiceFresh white or ruby grapefruit15ml
Maraschino LiqueurLiqueurLuxardo is the standard15ml
Simple SyrupoptionalSyrupTraditional spec omits this, but add 5-10ml if the grapefruit is too bitter for younone

Garnish: Lime wheel

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To shake and chill the citrus and rum together
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the rum, juices, and liqueur accurately
At home: A measuring shot glass or tablespoons
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice and any pulp while pouring the drink
At home: A fine mesh kitchen sieve
Coupe Glass · Serving
To serve the drink chilled without ice
At home: Any small stemmed glass or shallow bowl glass
Citrus Juicer · Other
To extract juice from the lime and grapefruit efficiently
At home: Squeeze by hand and strain out seeds with a fork

Steps

1
Measure 60ml white rum, 30ml lime juice, 15ml grapefruit juice, and 15ml maraschino liqueur into your shaker. If you want a touch of sweetness to balance a harsh grapefruit, add 5ml simple syrup now.
!Pouring maraschino freely because it smells sweet, which throws off the delicate balance.
2
Fill the shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes. The ice should come up past the liquid so everything gets cold and diluted evenly when you shake.
!Using too little ice, which melts fast and waters down the drink instead of chilling it.
3
Seal the shaker tight and shake hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. You want the metal to get frosty and almost painful to hold — that tells you the drink is properly chilled and the citrus is fully integrated.
~12s
!Shaking too gently, which leaves the drink lukewarm and doesn't tame the raw acidity.
4
Pop the shaker open and fit the Hawthorne strainer over the top. Pour the drink through the strainer into your chilled coupe glass, letting it pour in a steady stream until the shaker is empty.
!Letting ice chips slip past the strainer into the glass, which melts and dilutes the drink quickly.
5
Drop a thin lime wheel onto the surface of the drink for garnish. Serve it right away while it is still frosty cold.

Serve

Serve it straight up in a chilled coupe with no ice. Drink it while it is cold — the sharp, tart character fades fast as it warms up.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for White Rum

White RumAged Rum
Match
Common availability
White Rum → Aged Rum: Adds vanilla and oak notes that soften the sharp citrus edges.

Swap options for Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino LiqueurCherry Heering
Match
Specialty availability
Maraschino Liqueur → Cherry Heering: Brings a sweeter, darker cherry flavor that makes the drink heavier and less dry.

Swap options for Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit JuiceCampari
Match
Common availability
Grapefruit Juice → Campari: Swaps the fresh citrus bitterness for a heavier, herbal bitter kick.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Daiquiri

The Hemingway adds grapefruit and maraschino while dropping the simple syrup, making it much tarter and more complex.

Match

Both are crisp rum sours, but the Hemingway is noticeably sharper and more bitter, with a dry cherry nuance the standard Daiquiri lacks.

In common: Shaken sour, Served up in a coupe, Crisp and refreshing

Ingredients

Both share

White Rum, Lime Juice

Only in Hemingway Daiquiri

Grapefruit Juice, Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Daiquiri

Simple Syrup

The Hemingway swaps out the syrup for grapefruit juice and maraschino, turning a balanced sweet-sour into a dry, sharply tart drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Bright lime acidity, Clean rum backbone, Cold and refreshing body

How Daiquiri differs

Drier, More bitter, Faint cherry notes

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Last Word

The Last Word uses gin and green Chartreuse instead of rum and grapefruit, making it herbal and heavier.

Match

The Hemingway drinks lighter and fruitier, while the Last Word is dense, herbal, and more polarizing.

In common: Shaken sour, Served up, Maraschino-driven complexity

Ingredients

Both share

Lime Juice, Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Hemingway Daiquiri

White Rum, Grapefruit Juice

Only in Last Word

Gin, Green Chartreuse

The Hemingway relies on rum and grapefruit for a bright, fruity profile, while the Last Word uses gin and Chartreuse for an earthy, herbal one.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Tart lime foundation, Dry cherry undertone from maraschino

How Last Word differs

Less herbal, Lighter body, More refreshing

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

Constantino Ribalaigua Vert at El Floridita in Havana created this for Ernest Hemingway, who disliked sweet drinks. The original Papa Doble was a doubled rum version without sugar; the modern spec with grapefruit and maraschino evolved later at the bar to balance the larger pour.

Creator: Constantino Ribalaigua Vert
Era: 1930s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA Contemporary Classics
Confidence

The IBA spec includes 15ml simple syrup, but the traditional Cuban serve and most craft bars omit it entirely to honor Hemingway's preference for dry drinks.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Taste your grapefruit first and adjust with a dash of syrup if it is overly harsh.
Use a light hand with the maraschino; it can easily dominate the drink.
Shake this harder than you think to tame the raw acidity.
Chill your glass in the freezer for at least five minutes before making the drink.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Do not use bottled lime juice; it ruins the fresh snap.
Skip the simple syrup entirely if you want the authentic dry taste.
Avoid aged or dark rums, which muddy the crisp grapefruit notes.