Recipe
Pineapple Pride
Print or online media may reprint this excerpt with the following attribution: “Excerpted from Luscious Liqueurs, by A.J. Rathbun, © 2008, and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.”
Pineapple Pride
I suppose you could use canned pineapple chunks and juice here instead of fresh, but then you wouldn’t be able to take as much pride in it, would you? Take the plunge and use the fresh pineapple, and be filled with pride. This liqueur tastes best after chilling.
Makes about 2 1/4 pints
1 medium-size pineapple
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups white rum
1 1/2 cups Simple Syrup (see below)
1. Slice the top and bottom off the pineapple. Carefully trim away all of the skin and the eyes. Core and chop the pineapple, reserving any juice. Put 2 cups of the pineapple chunks and 1 tablespoon of the juice in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, muddle the pineapple chunks until they’re slightly broken up.
2. Add the lemon juice and rum. Stir well and seal. Place in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. Let sit for 2 weeks, swirling occasionally.
3. Add the simple syrup, stir again, and reseal. Return to its spot. Let sit for 2 more weeks, swirling occasionally.
4. Filter the liqueur through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Strain again through a double layer of cheesecloth into a pitcher or other easy-pouring vessel. Finally, strain through 2 new layers of cheesecloth into 1 large bottle or a number of small bottles or jars.
Two Cocktail Suggestions: Blend 2 ounces of this with 1 ounce cream of coconut, 2 ounces dark rum, 1 cup ice, and 1 ounce heavy cream to make a tasty variation on the Piña Colada. Or just mix it with a little dark rum and ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass.
Simple Syrup
Though it’s not liquor, simple syrup is perhaps even more important in these recipes, as it’s an ingredient found in nearly all of them. Some liqueurs have special syrups (using brown sugar, for example), and instructions to make these not-quite-as-simple-syrups are detailed in the specific recipes that use them. But when a liqueur just calls for an amount of basic simple syrup, use this recipe. I like to have simple syrup around at all times, for liqueurs, for cocktails, and for lemonade and other drinks. It’s easy to make and stores well in the refrigerator. Having simple syrup around also means that you don’t have to rush a batch when you realize you’re at the simple syrup step in one of the liqueur recipes.
Makes about 4 1/2 pints
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium-size saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat a bit, and keep the mixture at a low boil for 5 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat, and let the syrup completely cool in the pan. Store in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
