Channeling her “inner Hemingway”

Let us give a warm welcome to a return Guest Adventurer, Laura, a self-proclaimed beach bum, who lives in Illinois! She shares how she channeled her “inner Hemingway” and offered us a refreshing idea! 

It is not easy being a beach bum when the ocean is 600 miles away. Oh sure, my deck is painted Caribbean Blue and adorned with three varieties of potted palm trees, one of which is large enough to sit under. There is a pink flamingo in my flower bed. A bamboo wind chime hanging from the eave. And we have enough Jimmy Buffett playlists to last an entire weekend.
But that doesn’t help the fact that it is closing in on a full year since I have been toe to wave with the crystal blue of the Gulf. And it will be another eight weeks before I actually set foot in the Caribbean for the first time ever!

This upcoming trip has lead to a rash of frugality around here. Mostly meaning that our payday trip to a local tiki bar has been put on hold. This doesn’t mean I can’t have my bi-monthly fix.

Finding ourselves with an open Saturday night, pleasantly warm weather for September and a fresh bottle of rum….

I channeled my inner Hemingway and shook up a batch of ‘real’ daiquiris. Tart, sweet, honest rum drinks with NO umbrellas. Strong enough to make you want to wrestle a lion, subtle enough to sneak up on submarine off the shore of Cuba! As an appetizer I paired the drink with some cherry tomatoes, an assortment of olives and rosemary bread and dipping oil followed by grilled shrimp and veggies.

It was a moveable feast which did Ernest proud!

Do you have a favorite ‘inspired by’ meal or beverage?

Hemingway Daiquiri

1 generous ounce of white rum
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce grapefruit juice
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
the juice from half a lime
Shake with crushed ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Thank you Laura for your fun and positive post! You can read more from Laura on her blog Coast of Illinois.