Revealing Hemingway’s personality, one sip at a time.
Understated. Straightforward. Strong.
Some bartenders judge you by what you order at the bar. I was one of them. Your drink of choice says something about your personality, and Ernest Hemingway was no exception. Known for being a prolific writer and a prodigious drinker, Hemingway was a complex yet contradictory man with refined yet spartan tastes.
Hemingway was part of the Lost Generation of writers who, through writing, tried to make sense of the atrocities they witnessed during World War I. Through drinking, they tried to escape it. The ’20s (or the 1920s for the younger folks) were a hell of a time. After the war, Hemingway joined a group of expat writers and artists living in Paris, among them F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Hemingway’s personal life was challenging, to say the least. Furthermore, being married four times brought its own set of complexities. The impact of war didn’t help his mental state either. He lived the life of as a brilliant writer, with a mercurial disposition. His cocktail choices reflect that.
And since he had many favorite cocktails, there was much to dissect. Here, I’ve broken down what reportedly was his go-tos and given a little taste into what these drinks revealed.
“I drink to make other people more interesting.”
Ernest Hemingway
The Hemingway Daiquiri, or Papa Doble, was created by Constantino Ribalaigua Vert of El Floridita in Havana, Cuba, where Hemingway was a regular. The story goes that Hemingway “wandered in” looking for a bathroom and instead found himself belly up at the bar drinking daiquiris. Upon tasting the head bartender’s famous daiquiri, Hemingway’s review was, “That’s good, but I prefer it without sugar and double rum.” And so Papa Doble was born.
Flavor profile: Original recipe – strong, tart, like a punch in the nose. Modified version – strong, tart, with a touch of tenderness.
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death in the afternoon
A Hemingway concoction
“Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.”
ernest hemingway, the Complete Short stories of ernest Hemingway
A cocktail that Hemingway is reported to have invented is simply Champagne mixed with absinthe. The milky color is due to a chemistry reaction of the absinthe and Champagne mixing, effectively creating a cloud in your glass.
Hemingway’s recipe is as follows:
Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.
The cocktail, named after the book of the same title, Death in the Afternoon, was inspired by Hemingway’s time in France, where he was introduced to absinthe. The origin story of the cocktail goes that Hemingway and three naval officers of the H.M.S. Danae invented it “after having spent seven hours overboard trying to get Capt. Bra Saunders’ fishing boat off a bank where she had gone with us in a N.W. gale.” Indeed, a stiff drink was likely needed after spending an entire day in the ocean trying to rescue a boat. As many bar stool stories are concerned, the facts of this story are widely contested, and there’s no evidence to support or dispute this claim.
And whether this story is true or not, Death in the Afternoon is a potent yet oddly refreshing cocktail. And if you follow Hemingway’s consumption instructions, it would be one way to kill an entire afternoon.
Flavor profile: Complex, bitter, yet refreshing. Succinct – with only two ingredients, there’s not enough room for nonsense in the glass.
mojito
Shaking up more cocktails in Cuba
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.”
ernest hemingway
The mojito rounds out this list as another one of Hemingway’s favorite cocktails. Another bar Hemingway frequented in Havana, Cuba, was called La Bodeguita del Medio, where it was reported he consumed the majority of his mojitos.
Some even say that he was the mastermind behind it. Again, the details cannot be verified, and quite possibly, the story gets a little fuzzy after a few mojitos anyway. But it turns out, this might be the biggest urban bar legend circulating around Hemingway yet.
So did Hemingway invent the mojito? Probably not. Did he even drink them? Given his affinity for rum, most likely. It’s refreshing. It’s delightful. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy a summer day in Havana.
Flavor profile: Fresh, invigorating, and perfect for a hot day.
Cheers to Hemingway
The man, the legend, & his legacy
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong in the broken places.”
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
In addition to Papa Doble, Death in the Afternoon, and the Mojito, Hemingway also enjoyed various other cocktails. These included the Daiquiri, the Martini, the Negroni, and the Old Fashioned. Then there’s Whiskey & Soda and Gin & Tonic. He also enjoyed wine, beer, and Champagne. Let’s say the man liked to drink.
There might be too many drinks and too much personality to unpack here. Needless to say, Hemingway was a prolific writer (and drinker). He was direct. He didn’t mince words. Strong, undiluted, not weighed down with unnecessary fluff – just like his drinks.
Of course, the man was as talented as he was flawed. Therefore, I must add this disclaimer – always drink responsibly and remember that moderation is key when consuming Hemingway’s recipes. Cheers to the man, the legend, and his legacy.
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