Pineapple Cocktails

We continue our fruit-themed series of summer cocktails with pineapple drinks. Pineapple's sweet-tart flavour pairs beautifully with rum. Close your eyes, and you'll think you're on a tropical vacation.

Another thing I really like about using pineapple juice, is that, when used in a shaken cocktail, it creates a layer of foam that settles on the top of the drink, an especially lovely effect if you've coloured the drink with a liqueur like blue Curaçao. I named one of last summer's cocktails, the Aphrodite, after the Greek goddess of love, who was born of the sea foam, because of this effect. Try one, and you'll see what I mean.

Unless you have a juicer that can handle fresh pineapples, I recommend using PC 100% Pure Pressed Pineapple Juice, available in the refrigerated juice aisle wherever President's Choice products are sold.

I'm going to give you three recipes – one that's very basic, and two that require a few more ingredients.

Hawaiian Margarita

You'll need 1½ oz. tequila (preferably gold), 1 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. pineapple juice. Combine over ice in a Margarita glass, or blend with ½ cup of crushed ice for a frozen Margarita.

Green Goddess

If you have some green melon liqueur lurking in the back of your liquor cabinet, here's the perfect way to use it. To a cocktail shaker half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of white rum, ½ oz. of green melon liqueur, 1 tsp. of lemon juice, and 3 oz. of pineapple juice. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. If you really want to impress, garnish with cubes of honeydew melon and pineapple on a small skewer.

Hurricane

Similar to the Bahama Mama, which I featured a few weeks ago, the Hurricane was the signature drink of New Orleans even before Katrina, and there are many versions out there. It's usually served in a tall, curvy glass that resembles the globe of a hurricane lantern. If you don't have any Hurricane glasses, any tall glass will do. Combine 1 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of dark rum, 2 oz. of orange juice, 2 oz. of pineapple juice, and ½ oz. of Grenadine in a mixing glass. Pour over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass. Best enjoyed sipped through a straw.

As we head into August, there's still plenty of summer left and still lots of fruit we haven't turned into cocktails. Stay tuned.