Drinking in Hemingway’s footsteps
Bellinis in Harry’s Bar Venice
Pastis at Cafe Les Deux Magots
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It may have been the introduction of Prohibition in 1920 that really drove Ernest Hemingway to drink. He was finally earning money from his writing in America, but the puritanical ban on alcohol meant he couldn’t spend it on one of his greatest pleasures.
Paris though still clung to its bohemian culture and it attracted many of the worlds’ finest young painters, writers and philosophers. Disillusioned by war they coalesced in their search for life, love and pleasure at bars like the Café Les Deux Magots on the Left Bank. Hemingway became part of this “Lost Generation” and in the midst of the creativity and madness produced many of his finest novels.
Rising early he would work undisturbed until noon and then reward himself with the first Pastis of the day. The aniseed liquour with its herbal essences forming a perfect aperitif to prepare for a very good lunch. Then to fill the time before the evenings festivities began he would move on to his own creation, a ‘Death in the afternoon’ cocktail. Inspired by his new passion for bullfighting it was an unlikely mixture of 1 part Pastis to 4 parts Champagne. His original recipe ends with “Drink three to five of these slowly”
He left the city in 1928 but later returned in 1944 as a war correspondent with the frontline American troops. As the soldiers swept across the city he commandeered a Jeep and went on his own mission. Ignoring the small pockets of Germans still fighting in the capital he picked up some irregulars and careered into the Place Vendome to ‘liberate’ the Ritz Hotel from the Nazis and open a bottle of champagne. After the war the Hotel renamed their small bar ‘The Hemingway’.in his honour.
Hemingway didn’t so much live in Venice, more reside there in Harry’s Bar for the duration of a particularly long and cold winter. Long enough though to be granted his own table where he would hold court and down the Bellinis, invented by the bars founder Giuseppe Cipriani. Mixing sparkling Prosecco wine and peach puree may not produce a cocktail with a strong hit. But when you are not going anywhere for several weeks its as well to pace oneself.
Mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio
In
In between leaving Paris and its liberation Hemingway spent much of his time in Havana. When not fishing or hunting unsuccessfully for German submarines off the Cuban coast he would divide his time between his two favourite bars.
La Bodeguita del Medio was just a minute’s walk from room 511 of the Ambos Mundos Hotel where he used to live and write when he first arrived in the city. The speciality of the bar was its Mojitos; a sweet mix of rum, limes, sugar and mint mashed up in the glass. The rough and ready recipe of the cocktail complimented the clientele in this spit and sawdust bar for locals. The sort of place you could write on the walls and no one minded. Even Hemingway added his contribution “My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita”.Its still there.
The rather more comfortable El Floridita bar had long been a favourite with holidaying Americans when he arrived. Grog was the rum once regarded as only fit for sailors in the Royal Navy. But when chilled, sweetened with lime and sugar, called a Daquiri and served in a classic cocktail glass by a red jacketed waiter – it become something much more elegant.
Eventually Hemingway bought a property outside of the city, there were less distractions and he could concentrate on his work. But when the sun went down he and his wife would still drive in for their evening daquiris. The Regency styled interior hasn’t changed since he drained his last cocktail in the 1950’s and its not just his ghost that lingers. His bar stool remains at the end of the long mahogany bar and astride it is a life size bronze figure. If you keep buying the daquiris the old man will listen to your fishing tales all night.
Daquiris at La Floridita
fine travel photography by martin norris 