I know, I know, the whole “national-whatever-day” may seem a little overboard to some, but the idea of dropping a spotlight onto a special food or drink is fun for me. Without this occasion of National Daiquiri Day, I’d be muddling through a regular old, hum-drum Wednesday. Oh yes, this is much better!
If you have never made a daiquiri, I can tell you from experience that it is one of the simplest cocktails out there. Rum, sugar and lime is the essence of this drink, though you have probably also seen variations that included strawberry, and options for the drink to be served frozen, almost like a slushy. Given the brutal heat that is gripping so much of the U.S. this week, nobody would argue against a slushy cocktail right about now, right?
For my fun, Comfort du Jour spin, I’ve applied one of my favorite flavor combinations for a spicy-meets-tropical twist on a classic daiquiri. Fresh pineapple and a Serrano-infused simple syrup are the stars of this show. The syrup can be made ahead in a matter of minutes, and if you don’t have Serrano on hand, a jalapeño will do just fine. Any sugar can be used, but I love the richer, warmer flavor of turbinado, and we always shell out a little extra for fair trade. Equal parts water and sugar will make the simple syrup, and a cut up Serrano adds the spicy zip. Intensify the heat, if you’d like, by keeping the pepper’s seeds and membranes intact during infusion. Or scoop them out first for a milder bite. I’ll bet you can guess what we did at our house!
Cool it down completely, then strain out the pepper chunks and transfer it to a jar or bottle. Keep the syrup in the fridge until you’re ready to mix. Breaking down a fresh pineapple is easy to do, as you’ll see below. This one was so fresh and juicy, and the aroma was positively intoxicating!
I used the sweetest, freshest pineapple, and I highly recommend that you choose one at its peak ripeness. Not sure how to tell? Check out this article for tips on selecting the best of the bunch, and if you need help finding other ways to enjoy the rest of your perfect pineapple, I’ve placed a carousel of ideas at the end of the post, just after the click-to-print recipe.
The other ingredients in my daiquiri are simple and obvious— light rum, and for this beauty, I relied on Sungrazer golden rum from Broad Branch Distillery, our favorite local spirits provider. But any light rum that isn’t “spiced” or “aged” will work great here. Fresh lime is important; please don’t ever use the green plastic squeezy bottle when making a cocktail. Your taste buds deserve the real deal! And you’ll need ice, of course, either for shaking the drink or (as I opted) blending it right in.
You can pour your spicy pineapple daiquiri over fresh ice or straight into a chilled coupe glass, as you wish. Doesn’t it look just like liquid sunshine?
Spicy Pineapple Daiquiri
One of my favorite heat-sweet combinations is flinging a classic daiquiri into spicy-meets-tropical territory!
Ingredients
- 4 oz. light or golden rum
- 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
- Juice of one large lime
- 1 oz. Serrano-infused simple syrup (see below)
- 1 cup ice (for blending)
- Lime and fresh pineapple for garnish
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except garnish in the pitcher of a blender and process until ice is finely blended and mixture is somewhat frothy. Divide between chilled cocktail glasses and garnish with thinly sliced lime and pineapple.
- Alternatively, you may add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake until the outside of the container is frosty. Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass and garnish as desired.
Here’s some more fun pineapple recipes!
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