The process of making this delicious syrup from charred pineapple slices is to grill pineapple on a BBQ and then marinate the pineapple in sugar for a few hours before starting to produce the actual syrup.
Pineapple is a fantastic ingredient in cocktails. No matter if you use chunks, juice, or charred pineapple syrup. It's often used in Tiki cocktails in combination with rum. But you can also see it in countless other cocktail recipes.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Grilled Pineapple Chunks
- ½ cup Unbleached cane sugar or brown 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.
Steps to make grilled pineapple syrup
The recipe for grilled pineapple simple syrup is easy, yet it takes some time. The main reason is that the maceration process in the recipe, which is required to extract 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 grilled pineapple syrup:
- First, we need to prepare our ripe pineapple and strip and core it.
- Then slice the pineapple into patties, one pineapple slice should be about 3/4 of an inch thick (approx. 2 cm).
- Grilling pineapple rings or slices is an essential step to make this smoky syrup. Grill or char the pineapple patties on a barbecue, woodfire, or grill pan until they're golden and lightly smoky and you see these amazing grill marks.
- Cut pineapple 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. -For maximum flavor, let them sit for 24 hours.
- When returning to your coated and grilled 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, the tropical pineapple flavor 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, pineapple Margarita, or a roasted pineapple Old Fashioned.
Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri
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
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold. Then strain into a chilled Coupe glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Roasted Pineapple Old Fashioned cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz rye whiskey or bourbon
- 0.5 oz Mezcal
- 0.5 oz roasted pineapple simple syrup
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, fill it with ice, and stir for 15 to 18 seconds. Strain the drink over a large ice cube into a Double Old Fashioned glass and garnish it with roasted pineapple pieces on a cocktail pick.
Pineapple Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Tequila blanco
- 0.5 oz Triple Sec like Cointreau
- 0.75 oz Grilled pineapple syrup
- 0.5 oz Fresh lime
- Chili powder and Tajin for spiced rim
Instructions:
For the spiced rim, mix chili powder and Tan spice mix on a small plate. Add tequila, Cointreau, charred pineapple syrup, and lime juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled, then strain over fresh ice into rimmed glass.
Non-Drink use
Our roasted pineapple simple syrup is a delicious ingredient in sweet treats and desserts. For example, use it to add a tropical flavor to vanilla ice cream. You can also use it to drizzle it over pancakes or waffles instead of maple syrup.
Grilled pineapple makes delicious desserts. To make this, cut the pineapple into wedges after grilling. Dust the wedges with cinnamon and serve with whipped cream and drizzle some of our charred pineapple syrup over it.
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 in various recipes to reduce waste to zero.
This charred pineapple syrup recipe 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 as a pretty cocktail garnish.
And just like that, we used all parts of the pineapple while making an amazing grilled pineapple syrup.
Related recipes
- Butterfly pea syrup - A color-changing syrup recipe that turns cocktails 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.