Confession time: if you tell me a literary giant drank something, then I'm probably going to have an almost unnatural pull toward it. Thus is the case with today's drink, Death in the Gulf Stream.
I will tell you right now: Ernest Hemingway had an unusually large presence in my childhood. His books were on our shelves of course. But my grandfather, who had seen live bullfighting IN SPAIN, talked about Hemingway's appreciation of the fights. I knew that he was a peer of Fitzgerald, whom I loved. I knew about his marriages and affairs and suicide. I was thrilled when we went to Key West and I could see some of his hallowed stomping grounds. I was determined to own a Polydactyl cat named Hemingway (hasn't happened yet). Heck, we even regularly ate Papa Hemingway burgers. In a way, he felt like a member of the family.
It would hardly come as a surprise then that I would also reach for one of his drinks, and no less than one he supposedly created himself (the jury is still out on that). One he relied on as a bracer and a hangover cure both. And now I encourage you to mix your own, whether you need to write drunk or edit sober.
I have never been hungover, but I understand it is sheer misery. Makes sense that you don't need a lot of ingredients or fancy techniques. All you will need are:
2 oz gin (Genever is generally recommended, but I'm equally happy with a London Dry)
1.5 oz lime juice*
1/2 oz simple syrup+
3 or 4 dashes Angostura Bitters
Ice for the glass
You will also need some basic barware. For this, you will need:
A shot glass with actual .5 ounce markings
An old-fashioned or tumbler glass
And now to simple prep.
Simply pour in all your ingredients, give it a gentle stir (If you're fighting that hangover), add some ice, and down it fairly quickly. I understand you'll feel more alert (courtesy lime and bitters) and a little less edgy (courtesy of the hair of the dog that bit you).
* If you have access to Key limes or Key Lime juice, give that a whirl in place of regular lime juice!
+ I understand Hemingway preferred things more sour even before his diabetes diagnosis, so if you want to be TRULY authentic, feel free to eschew the simple syrup.
Cheers! Salud! Prost! Slainte! Soupy twist!