Ernest Hemingway is equally famous for his terse, unadorned prose and his insatiable, itinerant and intrepid consumption of alcohol. He is closely associated with a remarkable range of drinks, both from his own life and his oeuvre. What many of them have in common is an uncommon kick and, due to his concern for his blood sugar level, the lack of added sweetener.

In fact, it’s high time that we acknowledge Hemingway as the Papa of today’s trend toward low-cal, low-carb, (but certainly not low alcohol) drinks. Everyone is getting in on the game these days, as evidenced by the proliferation of Hard Seltzers, Low-Cal Wine, Ranch Water and of course the tried-and-true Light Beer category.

This cocktail seems particularly forward looking given the current popularity of hydrating coconut water, but I’m sure Hemingway was lying around on a beach and not knocking these back after his hot yoga class. It benefits from the botanical complexity of Gin and Bitters, with the later adding an attractive pink hue. But you may wonder; why not Rum? We say, why not in indeed? Try an herbal Rhum Agricole or even a Coconut Rum, for something a bit different.

Make no mistake, even though coconut water is ever so slightly sweet this is a dry and tangy drink. Some insulin stable imbibers may prefer it with a little Simple Syrup added to the mix. Also, as noted above, Hemingway liked a stiff drink so pace yourself as you enjoy this pink cocktail, lest you start seeing pink elephants or counting six blurry toes on your five-toed cat.

One last note – a highball glass is a good vessel for this drink but if you really want to go all in, lop the top off a green coconut and mix one up right in the shell with the fresh coconut water you find inside.

Green Isaac’s Special

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz. London Dry Gin
• 4 oz. coconut water
• 1 oz. lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Lime peel twist

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled.
2. Pour all ingredients including ice into a highball glass.
3. Garnish with lime twist.