You Should Drink Your Next Tequila Cocktail With Grilled Pineapple
Fruit can bring in a great flavor to cocktails, and, specifically, tequila-based cocktails — you'll know this to be true if you've ever had a strawberry margarita or a tequila sunrise (in which orange juice is a main ingredient). Another fruit that works wonderfully in a tequila cocktail is pineapple. But, we suggest that you take it one step further and grill your pineapple before integrating it into your next tequila cocktail.
Grilled pineapple is sweeter than fresh pineapple, while also bringing in a smoky flavor from being charred. Tequila's flavor is enhanced by adding in something tart and tangy, such as pineapple, and the smokiness of the grilled version of pineapple will only make for a more dynamic overall tasting experience.
To get the best flavor possible, it's important to remember that for grilled pineapple, fresh is better than canned. While it may require an extra step to seek out fresh pineapple, it will certainly be worth it for the superior taste it will bring to your preferred cocktail.
Incorporating grilled pineapple into cocktails
When discussing tequila drinks, it's impossible not to bring up the margarita, which is one of the most common cocktails to have a fruit flavor infused into it (often Mexican restaurants will offer a long list of fruit flavors, such as strawberry, watermelon, mango, pear and more). To make grilled pineapple margaritas, start by grilling the pineapple and letting it cool (you can speed up the process by chilling it in the fridge). Then, you'll add the grilled pineapple to a blender alongside the other ingredients for a typical margarita, including tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup. Once blended, you can use a piece of grilled pineapple for a garnish.
Additionally, if you'd rather have your margarita on the rocks, rather than blended, you can make a classic margarita and add in a rectangular piece of grilled pineapple on a stick for a garnish that will also impact the taste. The flavor of the grilled pineapple won't be as pronounced, but it'll still bring in some of the sweet smokiness that we're looking for. There are also versions of tequila sunrises that utilize pineapple juice either instead of or in addition to orange juice — this is another perfect vessel to stick one of those grilled pineapple rectangles in.