The Hemingway Daiquiri

Ernest Hemingway, July 21, 1899 - July 2, 1961

As was pointed out by one of the genial, twittering, PR birds so constantly abuzz in my ear, this is the week of Hemingway's birthday (and the anniversary month of both his death and birth).

Hemingway's contributions to many fields are in no need of enumeration here. But the man did stamp his identity on the cocktail with his favored way of taking the drink.

The Daiquiri is named for a Cuban mining town where an American engineer came up with the simple formula of lime + rum + sugar (hmmm, hard to imagine that had never been done before) that worked so beautifully that it became canonical.

Of course, the (spirit) + lime + sugar formula is the universal code for cocktail (called a sour) as in, say, the margarita, caipirinha, gimlet, pisco sour, etc., making Hemingway's preference all the more important as it represents a much need evolution of a familiar trope. He used to drink at La Floridita bar in Havana where this dry, balanced of style daiquiri was created for him.

1 1/2 oz. white rum
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur

Combine ingredients in a mixing cup, add ice, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Any good bar in SF should be able to make one for you, notably:
Absinthe
Alembic
Bix
Bourbon and Branch
Cantina
Elixir
Rye