The Plum Ernest Daiquiri

I'm a fan of the Hemingway Daiquiri. Hell, I'm a fan of the Hemingway. You almost have to be to drink this drink.

Elphaba? Not so much.

So many stories and theories surrounding just one little drink. Whether he did or he didn't create this one, or whether the El Floridita bartender created it for him, or whether it was originally named The Hemingway Special, the El Papa Doble, or the El Floridita No.14--and whether those drinks looked even remotely like the recipe below...it's enough head spinning to make you really need a drink. What we do know? Hemingway had something to do with the creation of this damned cocktail. There's a lot of lore surrounding him and his love of daiquiris (but dear God don't put sugar in his daiq. Don't you do it.) Whatever the case, the current incarnation of the Hemingway Daiquiri goes a little something like this:

• 2 oz white rum 
• .75 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• .5 oz fresh lime juice
• .25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• Lime or grapefruit slice to garnish

If you want it a little sweeter, you can add a quarter to a half ounce of simple syrup.

Shake all ingredients, minus the garnish, over ice until frosty, strain into a coupe. Garnish. Drink.

Who's up for a little late summer spin on the Hemingway Daiq? 

The Plum Ernest Daiquiri:

• 2 oz. ginger rum (I love Malahat Spirits)
• .75 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• .5 oz fresh lime juice
• .25 maraschino liquor
• .25 red plum simple syrup (see instructions below)
• slice of plum for garnish and if you real fancy, an amaranth blossom (An amaranth blossom that everyone saw on Instagram and thought was a chicken foot because I drink with chickens but not like that, People. Not like that. I just really have a lot of amarath growing in my damned yard right now.)

To make your red plum simple syrup, quarter four red plums and place them, along with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1.5 cups of water, in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside, covered, for about 45 minutes to cool. Strain into a mason jar, and keep covered in the fridge for up to a week.

To make your daiq, place all ingredients except garnish in a shaker over ice and shake until frosty. Strain into a coupe, garnish, and drink.

Probably would've been too sweet for good ol' Ernest.

Also, let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that Elphaba came around for the second daiquiri (that's her voluptuous breast you see in the righthand side of the photo...she's a bit more, ahem, mature these days).