Cocktails and grilling – this sounds like a good combination at a cool and nice summer party. And of course there are numerous, especially summery cocktail recipes out there for such an occasion. But only few people would think of using grilled ingredients inside a cocktail. Don’t worry, of course I do not want to stuff a pork belly in the shaker or blend a steak with crushed ice into some awful cannibalistic tiki swill, I am speaking about the aromas that are created when grilling and roasting certain ingredients, which can lift some cocktails on a whole new level. I would like to briefly show you how easily this can be done.
You really don’t need magic, elaborate preparation or even exotic ingredients for this; you usually only need a grill or a griddle pan and a suitable kind of fruit. For example the Grilled Lime & Spice Mojito can very appropriately show how the whole thing works. In this drink the juice of a grilled lime is added into the cocktail. It is a trick I recently also used for a Gin & Tonic with GIN’CA Gin. In fact, it makes a significant difference in taste – even if it’s just the juice – whether the fruit has previously been on the grill or not. The key question is: What kind of cocktail do I want to create and which fruit is available? I can imagine the whole thing with apples and pears, right now in the autumn, principally with citrus fruits, less with berries, but again with melons and other exotics. In today’s Grilled Pineapple Rum Smash I opted for – surprise – a pineapple. And here I not only added the juice, but with it whole pieces of pineapple, thus creating a Smash. Lime and mint accompany the grilled pineapple and the flavor of the pineapple itself is even enriched by using the Plantation Pineapple Stiggins’ Fancy Original Dark Rum that I presented here a few days ago. You do not have to use this particular rum, a Dark Rum or Golden Rum which is not even infused with pineapple will certainly work here too, but my result was definitely worth it.
A brief note on grilling: Of course here it is not about transforming the fruit into a piece of hollow-black charcoal with fiery fervor and infernal passion. Common sense dictates that the goal is to grill with a little intuition. A few black spots are allowed, grill stripes serve as an ideal.
Recipe:
6 cl Plantation Pineapple Stiggins’ Fancy Original Dark Rum (Another Dark or Golden Rum will also work)
1 cl sugar syrup
2 cl lime juice
8 grilled pineapple cubes (about 1x1cm)
3-4 twigs of fresh mint
Preparation: Muddle the grilled pineapple cubes in the shaker with your muddler, then add the mint and gently muddle without shredding the mint apart. Add remaining ingredients and shake vigorously on ice for at least 15 seconds. Finally double strain into a glass filled with fresh ice cubes.
Glass: tumbler
Garnish: grilled pineapple wedge and mint
Buying sources: In specialized stores or in well-stocked supermarkets
