The Birth of the Hemingway Highball

One of my favorite conversations while sitting at my side of the bar is literature, especially Ernst Hemingway.

Hemingway has been called the greatest American author of all time. I would have to agree with this statement as I have read all his works including many magazine articles he wrote in is early years.

I also own his entire collection of books and short stories in a leather bound collection from Easton Press and recently discovered what I really enjoy about Hemingway is not that he was a romantic as he had many loves in his life and was married four times. I attribute this to the fact that he fell in love very easily and could not have an affair that had no meaning. He was also a hero who volunteered to become an ambulance driver for the Red Cross WW I. He was also an adventurer who partook in big game hunting and deep sea fishing and also turned one of his fishing boats into a sub-chaser during WW II in the Caribbean looking for German U-Boats. However the real reason I love reading Hemingway he was such a good drinker. Maybe the reason is because he had such an eventful life, I don’t know.

In reading his works I have learned about many different types of alcohol and drinks.

Some of the beverages noted in Hemingway’s stores are Cachaca, Grapa, drinking Vermouth by itself, Strega, Whiskey and Mineral Water to name a few; however my favorite is Whiskey and ginger ale.

This seems like an odd combination, but is actually quit refreshing and tasty. I started with regular ginger ale until I found out how many carbs and calories were in on can of ginger ale. I then switched to diet ginger ale which is not all the easy to find. When I did run across it I would by a couple of cases.

Now the real difficult part was ordering while sitting at my side of the bar. First not may lounges carry ginger ale and quit frankly you can look like a sissy ordering ginger ale in a bar.

I was sitting in one of my favorite bars in Osage Beach Missouri a while back. (Stockton’s at the outlet mall) and asked if they carried ginger ale. The bartender, who was rather big man, informed me that they did not carry ginger ale, but inquired what I was interested in drinking with it. I told him the story about Hemingway and he turned around and mixed up a concoction and asked me to try it. I did and to my surprise it was very good and tasted even better than ginger ale as I did not believe it to be quit as sweet.

I inquired as to what this was and Bro (the bartenders nick name) stated it was 7-UP and Angostura Bitters.

Now the only whiskey Stockton’s carried that was any good at all was Makers Mark, a whiskey that I do not drink on regularly, however mixed with the “ginger ale” it was not bad. I actually prefer Canadian Whiskey in mine which I have nicked named the Hemingway Highball and thus dubbed Bro’s drink the Hemingway High-Bro.

Here is the recipes:

The Hemingway Highball
In a highball glass with ice mix 1 part Canadian Whiskey, 1 part 7-UP (or diet 7-UP as I do) and 4-5 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Stir and server.

(use Bourbon for the High-Bro).

Cheers