The Hemingway Special: A Rum Daiquiri Worth Knowing
The Hemingway Special is a crisp, dry rum daiquiri built on white rum, fresh grapefruit and lime juices, and a touch of maraschino liqueur. It takes 4 minutes to shake up and serves one. Expect tart citrus with a faint bitterness and an herbal note from the maraschino.
- Baserum
- Strength24% ABV, approximate
- Methodshake
- Glasscoupe
- Difficultyeasy
- Total3 min
- Serves1
- Tart
- Dry
- Subtly bitter
- Herbaceous
- Jigger or measuring spoons
- Cocktail shaker
- Strainer
The Hemingway Special gets called a daiquiri, but it's really its own thing. The grapefruit and maraschino push it far from the simple rum, lime, and sugar template. What you get is tart, faintly bitter, and bone dry. That's the point. Hemingway supposedly wanted something that didn't taste sweet, and this delivers.
This version sticks to the proportions that actually work: a solid base of white rum, a serious pour of grapefruit, and just enough maraschino to thread through the citrus. It's a drink that punishes bad juice. Bottled grapefruit will flatten it. Save this one for when you have a real grapefruit to squeeze.
The whole thing comes together in the time it takes to find your shaker. Four minutes, one glass.
About the Hemingway Special
The Hemingway Special is a variation on the classic daiquiri, traditionally linked to the writer's time in Cuba. The drink's defining feature is the combination of grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur, which replaces the standard simple syrup. This swap creates a drier, more complex flavor profile than a standard daiquiri. It is typically served up in a chilled coupe glass, without ice. The drink is part of the sour family, given its base of citrus and spirit.
Why it works
- 1The white rum provides a clean, neutral base that lets the citrus and maraschino shine through without competing flavors.
- 2Fresh grapefruit juice brings a distinct bitterness and tartness that bottled versions lack, creating a crisper, more complex drink.
- 3Maraschino liqueur adds a subtle almond and cherry complexity without adding significant sweetness, keeping the drink dry.
- 4The short shake time ensures proper dilution without over-watering the delicate balance of flavors.
Ingredients
Serves 1.
60 ml White rum, Use a light, unaged rum. A Spanish-style white rum works best.An aged rum will add heavy oak and vanilla notes that clash with the delicate citrus.
40 ml Fresh grapefruit juice, Strained, no pulp. Juice a fresh grapefruit, don't use bottled.Bottled grapefruit juice is often sweetened and pasteurized, which kills the bright, bitter edge this drink needs.
15 ml Maraschino liqueur, Luxardo or a similar quality brand.Cheap maraschino is syrupy and one-dimensional. A good one is dry and complex.
15 ml Fresh lime juice, Strained, no pulp.Fresh lime juice is essential for the bright acidity that balances the grapefruit and rum.
ingredients
The rum is the backbone. Use a quality white rum like a Cuban-style or a rhum agricole if you want a grassier, more funky character. The grapefruit is non-negotiable—it must be fresh. A pink grapefruit will be sweeter, while a white one is more bitter and true to the original. For the maraschino, Luxardo is the standard, but any brand that is dry and slightly nutty will work. Avoid anything that smells like candy.
You need: jigger or measuring spoons, cocktail shaker, strainer.
Method
Chill your coupe
Fill your coupe glass with ice or pop it in the freezer. A cold glass keeps the drink cold longer without diluting it further. Do this before you start measuring.
Look for: A frost forming on the outside of the glass as it chills.
Common mistake: Skipping this step. A warm glass will immediately warm your drink, flattening the bubbles and muting the flavors.
Add the white rum, fresh grapefruit juice, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice to your shaker. Use a jigger for accuracy. This is a precise drink, and a heavy pour of anything will throw it off.
Look for: The liquids forming distinct layers in the shaker before you add ice.
Common mistake: Eyeballing the measurements. The difference between 15ml and 20ml of maraschino is the difference between a dry cocktail and a sweet one.
Fill your shaker with cracked ice and shake hard for 10-12 seconds. You're not just mixing; you're chilling and diluting. The water from the melting ice is what makes the drink drinkable. Stop when the shaker is frosty and painful to hold.
Look for: A heavy frost forming on the outside of the metal shaker.
Common mistake: Shaking too long. Over-dilution makes the drink watery and flat. Ten to twelve seconds is your window.
Discard the ice from your chilled coupe. Strain the drink into the glass. You want a clean pour with no ice shards or pulp. The drink should be perfectly clear.
Look for: A clear, pale golden liquid filling the chilled glass. No cloudiness.
Common mistake: Straining lazily and getting pulp or ice chips in the glass. It looks wrong and waters the drink down.
Tips from the bar
- 1Use a grapefruit that gives slightly to pressure. It will be juicier and more flavorful.
- 2To get the most juice from a lime, roll it on the counter with your palm before cutting.
- 3Double-strain through a fine mesh sieve if your shaker's strainer is loose. You want a crystal-clear drink.
- 4Taste it before you serve. If it's too tart, a single bar spoon of simple syrup won't kill it.
- 5Freeze your grapefruit juice in an ice cube tray for a future drink. It won't be as bright, but it will save you a squeeze.
Variations
- Use a rhum agricole for a grassier, more vegetal flavor profile.
- Add a dash of absinthe by rinsing the glass with it before pouring the drink in.
- For a sweeter version, add 10ml of simple syrup along with the other ingredients.
- Make it a frozen daiquiri by blending all ingredients with crushed ice.
Substitutions
- If you don't have maraschino, you can use a dry cherry brandy, but it will be less complex and more alcoholic.
- Pink grapefruit juice can stand in for white grapefruit, but expect a sweeter, less bitter drink.
- Aged rum will add a smoky, oaky flavor that changes the drink's character completely. It's not a bad drink, just a different one.
Serving, storing, batching
Serve it straight up. Maybe a single expressed grapefruit peel if you want a hit of oil. It's a drink that works as an aperitif before a rich meal or as a palate cleanser after.
This drink is best made to order. The citrus juices will lose their vibrancy within an hour. You can pre-batch the rum and maraschino, but add the juices fresh before shaking.
To scale to a party, multiply the recipe by the number of guests. Combine the rum, maraschino, and citrus juices in a large pitcher. When ready to serve, shake each portion individually with ice to get the right dilution.
Questions people ask
This drink is defined by the use of maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice instead of simple syrup. This combination creates a much drier, more bitter cocktail than a standard daiquiri, which is the signature of the Hemingway Special.
A Hemingway Special contains white rum, fresh grapefruit juice, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice. Everything is shaken with ice and strained into a chilled coupe glass.
The core ingredients are 60ml of white rum, 40ml of fresh grapefruit juice, 15ml of maraschino liqueur, and 15ml of fresh lime juice. These are shaken and served up.
The Hemingway Special, also known as the Hemingway Daiquiri, is the drink most associated with him. It's a rum-based cocktail that was created for him at El Floridita in Havana, Cuba.
Add 60ml white rum, 40ml fresh grapefruit juice, 15ml maraschino, and 15ml lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10-12 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass.
A clean, unaged white rum is best. Look for a Spanish-style rum from Cuba or Puerto Rico. An aged rum will add oak and vanilla that will compete with the delicate citrus flavors.
Yes. Shake together 60ml white rum, 40ml fresh grapefruit juice, 15ml maraschino, and 15ml lime juice with ice. Strain into a chilled glass. That's the entire recipe.
The grapefruit replaces the sugar in a classic daiquiri. This makes the drink significantly drier and adds a bitter edge that balances the rum and maraschino. It's what gives the drink its distinct character.
It must be shaken, not stirred. The citrus juices need to be integrated and aerated. Shaking also provides the necessary dilution and chill that a stirred drink wouldn't achieve.
You can, but you shouldn't. Bottled lime juice has a flat, metallic taste. The drink is built on the freshness of its citrus, and using bottled juice will make it taste dull and lifeless.
Last word
That's the Hemingway Special. A crisp, dry rum cocktail that respects the grapefruit and keeps the sweetness in check. Shake it up next time you want something sharp and refreshing.
