Cocktail of the Week: Papa Doble

Ask any scholar about Ernest Hemingway and you’ll discover that the tough-as-nails writer was a Nobel Prize–winning author who wrote some of the most influential stories in American literature. However, one of the burly icon’s passions wasn’t just prose. During his lifetime, Hemingway adopted Cuba as his home, and it's where he finished composing For Whom the Bell Tolls, a novel that’s considered one of his greatest works. He found inspiration from icy daiquiris at La Floridita, his favorite watering hole in Havana. Despite finding a place where he can satisfy his love of liquor, Hemingway was very picky with his drinks. Not only was he against artificial ingredients, but his elixirs also needed to be arctic cold and strong enough to beat any alcoholic with just one sip. Floridita’s owner, Constantino Ribalagua, made his friend a unique daiquiri with maraschino liqueur as a natural sweetener, grapefruit juice for a tangy finish and crushed ice instead of cubes to constantly keep the cocktail frosty. The result was a bitter daiquiri with double the alcohol and minus the sugar. Hence, the drink was named “Papa Doble” in honor of Ribalagua’s famous patron, and it’s still demanded by both literary aficionados and social drinkers alike.

Downtown Miami’s Area 31, a restaurant located just a few miles away from Hemingway’s Havana, continues to prepare the novelist’s favorite drink. Mixologist Jacques Bezuidenhout serves guests this timeless classic with the same fresh ingredients once perfected by Ribalagua. Whether you’re daring enough to make your usual daiquiri a double or want to discover the same thirst-quenching muse that inspired many of Hemingway’s writings, give Papa Doble a shot. Be warned that after a taste, you may not know what hit you.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ oz Rhum Clement
½ oz Maraschino liqueur
½ oz Lime juice
½ oz Grapefruit juice
¼ oz Simple syrup (Optional)
Lime wheel

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients over crushed ice in cocktail shaker and shake. Strain drink into chilled cocktail glass. Add lime wheel for garnish.