[:en]“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to get drunk to pass the time among idiots.” This phrase, taken from the 1940 novel For whom the bell tolls, is one of the most famous ever written by Ernest Hemingway, and although we don't know if this was truly the reason, his passion for cocktails is certainly no mystery.
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that Hemingway loved to lead a pleasure-loving life, seeking experiences at the limit and extreme situations in which to test himself. This, and his extraordinary prose that has delivered him to immortality, makes it certainly an ideal drinking companion, so much so that it almost seems a shame not to have had the honor of having a drink with him. However, if we left our imagination free to fly and imagined ourselves in his company, we would certainly be drinking one of these cocktails, his favourites:
Mojito
Not just any one but the Mojito from the Bodeguita del Medio, a bar restaurant in Havana (Cuba), historically frequented by figures of the caliber of Salvador Allende, Pablo Neruda and, obviously, Ernest Hemingway. The American writer considered this cocktail the "real" Mojito.
Daiquiris
This sour-style Caribbean cocktail is known to have been a favorite of the writer along with the Mojito. In particular the one served at El Floridita, a historic fish restaurant and cocktail bar in old Havana. It seems that Hemingway ordered it without sugar and with a double dose of rum, and that he liked it so much that he managed to drink 17 in one sitting. His phrase has become famous:My mojito at La Bodeguita, my daiquiri at El Floridita”.
Today all his admirers organize real "pilgrimages" to go and taste it and take a photo with the statue of him inside the restaurant.
Papa double
Also known as Hemingway Special (or Hemingway Daiquiri) it is an any time cocktail dedicated to him, based on a variant of his beloved Daiquiri born in the El Floridita club in Havana. Its alcoholic base is white rum.
Gibson
Hemingway's love of the Martini was no secret. The Gibson is a variant that was the official IBA cocktail until 2011. In the novel Farewell to Arms , the protagonist Frederic Henry, referring to the Martini, says: “I had never drunk anything so beautiful and clean”. Hemingway's addition consisted of onions as a garnish for the cocktail, which had to be cold, even frozen.
Bloody Marys
The red cocktail was much loved by Hemingway. For him the rule for preparing it perfectly was very simple: if it's strong, add a little tomato; if it lacks character, add a little vodka.
Death in the Afternoon
Hemingway had another passion: that of Champagne, which he considered one of the best investments. The recipe he created consists of adding a drop of absinthe to a glass of Champagne. From the bizarre name attributed to it you can guess the "side effects". It is also known as Hemingway Champagne.
Scotch & Soda
Simple and relaxing, it appears several times in his novels. Hemingway teaches: “Never put off kissing a beautiful girl or opening a bottle of whiskey”.
Montgomery
Also called Hemingway Martini, it is a much drier variant of the Martini Cocktail, invented by the writer himself at the Harris Bar, a historic venue in Venice where during the winter between 1949 and 1950 he became a regular customer to the point of having a table always confidential staff. The recipe is identical to the original one (gin and vermouth), only the doses change, but the result is a totally different cocktail.
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