La Floridita Daiquiri a favorite of Ernest Hemingway's

This is John Apodaca from Daddy-O's Martinis. There seems to be some controversy and confusion over the recipe for the La Floridita Daiquiri also called the E. Hemingway or Papa Doble that was invented in the La Floridita bar in Havana Cuba in 1934.  This bar is  noted where Ernest Hemingway would drink this concoction invented by the then head bartender and later owner Constantino Ribalaigua. There was a 1934 edition of a souvenir hand book of the cocktails from this bar with the recipe for this drink and later additions with similar drinks and American versions with misinterpretations due to a translation error. The original ingredients include light rum,  juice of 1/2 a lime, sugar or sugar syrup and and maraschino liqueur blended with ice.

When Americans had translated the recipe, the word for lime in Spanish is limon verde here in the States that was interpreted as lemon thus the first error. Another version added half a grapefruit and some even thought of using maraschino juice from the jar of cherries and even blending it with ice in a machine, that's how far it has gone. In Ted Haigh's book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails he's researched the matter, found the various errors, additions, number of recipes and has found the original cocktail that was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway. I agree with this version and it makes a great summer cocktail.

Cheers,

John Apodaca

La Floridita Daiquire or Papa Doble


2 oz of light rum such as Bacardi silver or Havanan Club, Brugal.
Juice of half a lime ( if the lime is small use a whole thing)
1 teaspoon of powdered sugar or simple syrup
1 teaspoon of maraschino liqueur.