- Julia Thiel
- Pineapple margarita (left) and the Turning Point (right)
Motivated by the fact that I had a pineapple that was about to go bad, I started looking for cocktail recipes using fresh pineapple earlier this week. In the process, I unexpectedly discovered a vodka cocktail that I actually enjoyed. While I don’t like vodka, I don’t really mind it in cocktails since it doesn’t taste like much of anything. By the same token, though, I usually gravitate towards spirits that will add flavor to cocktails instead of just alcohol.
Despite my reservations about the high proportion of orange liqueur to other ingredients, the margarita recipe turned out well. The lime, liqueur, and tequila flavors all come through strongly, leaving the pineapple in the background; it’s a nice variation on the classic cocktail but still easily identifiable as a margarita. For highlighting the pineapple, though, the vodka cocktail won out: it was light and slightly sweet, with lots of pineapple flavor and just a hint of mint and ginger. I could hardly taste the alcohol at all—and when the alcohol is vodka, that’s how I prefer it.
Add all ingredients except the mint sprig to a blender and blend until smooth. Fill a rocks glass with ice and pour cocktail in; garnish with mint sprig.
