Pineapple is a fantastic ingredient in cocktails. No matter if you use chunks, juice, or grilled pineapple syrup.
It's often used in Tiki cocktails in combination with Rum. But you can also see it in countless other cocktail recipes.
Most of the time, people use fresh pineapple juice to add a tropical touch to their drinks. That works a treat, but sometimes the aroma from charred or grilled pineapple works even better.
What is grilled pineapple syrup?
Grilled pineapple makes delicious desserts. Dusted with cinnamon and served with whipped cream, it's a delightful way to end a meal.
But grilled pineapple is also great when used in a cocktail. For this, you first need to make a syrup out of grilled pineapple chunks.
The whole process takes some time, but the result is worth it. To extract as much flavor as possible, you need a technique also seen in making Olea Saccharum and our banana syrup.
Steps to make grilled pineapple syrup
Making grilled pineapple syrup is easy, yet it takes some time. The main reason is that the maceration process that extracts flavors, juices, and oils of the fruit needs a few hours to work its magic.
Apart from fresh pineapple, you also need Vodka, cane sugar, and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
So, here are the steps for making a grilled pineapple syrup:
- First, we need to prepare our pineapple and strip and core it.
- Then slice the pineapple into patties of about 3/4 of an inch.
- Grill or char the pineapple patties on a barbecue or woodfire until they're golden and lightly smoky.
- Cut the patties into chunks and put them into a saucepan. Then coat the pineapple chunks thoroughly with cane sugar and let the mix sit for 6 to 7 hours.
- When returning to your coated pineapple chunks, you should see a puddle or pool of syrup building in the bottom.
- Add the salt and Vodka to the mix and heat the saucepan to a simmer (don't boil it!). Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Finally, strain through a cheesecloth and let the syrup cool down.
- Store the syrup in the fridge until you need it.
The consistency of the resulting syrup is similar to simple syrup. And the taste will be gorgeous and perfectly balanced.
Grilled pineapple syrup in cocktails
As mentioned, pineapple works particularly well with dark and aged spirits. That also applies to grilled pineapple syrup.
It's best used in riffs on classic rum cocktails, for example, in a Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri. For making that cocktail, you need the following ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Aged Rum
- 0.5 oz Overproof Jamaican Rum
- 0.75 oz Grilled Pineapple Syrup
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- Splash of Pineapple Juice
And the syrup is also an excellent fit for a twist on an Old Fashioned cocktail. -A Bourbon-based Old Fashioned combined with smoky Mezcal and grilled pineapple syrup is a delicious drink. For making this, you'll need:
- 1.5 oz rye whiskey or bourbon
- 0.5 oz mezcal
- 0.5 oz smoked pineapple syrup
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Zero waste
These days "Zero waste" is one of the biggest topics in bar culture. The goal is to use every part of the ingredients and reduce waste to zero.
This charred pineapple syrup is a perfect example of what this could look like in reality. For the syrup, we only use a part of the fruit. Yet, you can reuse the other pieces in many different ways.
Pineapple leaves make a pretty garnish, or you can plant the whole top of the fruit and grow your own pineapple.
Also, the pineapple skins and core can be used to produce Tepache, a slightly fizzy drink made from fermented pineapple. The process of making Tepache is quite similar to Kvass.
Leftover chunks of pineapple, grilled or not, can be used in desserts, muddled into cocktails, or they make a pretty cocktail garnish.
And just like that, we used all parts of the pineapple while making an amazing grilled pineapple syrup.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Grilled Pineapple Chunks
- ½ cup Unbleached cane sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tbsp Vodka (optional)
Instructions
- Put the grilled pineapple chunks into a saucepan and coat them thoroughly with cane sugar.
- Let the mix sit for 6-7 hours at least.
- Then add salt before carefully heating up the mix and bringing it to a simmer - remember: don't boil it.
- Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool down.
- Add the Vodka and stir the mix once again. Then strain the syrup into a bottle and store it in the fridge.
More tropical syrups
- Butterfly pea syrup - A color changing syrup that turns from purple to bright pink when mixed with acidic ingredients.
- Passion fruit syrup - Made from fresh passion fruit this syrup is a great mix of sweet and sour.
- Demerara syrup - Another syrup that's great for Tiki cocktails.