This Island-Inspired Costco Snack Makes The Perfect Cocktail Garnish

Ask a bartender: Beyond creating aesthetic intrigue and "feeling fancy," cocktail garnishes also serve a functional purpose. Those frilly toppings introduce a dimensional flavor element to a drink, impacting both taste and texture — and, happily, Del Destino Golden Pineapple Spears in Coconut Water get the job done fabulously. Costco fans, this one's for you.

For the uninitiated, the viral Del Destino Golden Pineapple Spears that have the internet buzzing are massive, toothy rods of pure pineapple jarred in coconut water. They're crisp, refreshing, sun-ripened, and made in Peru – nearly 2 pounds of fruit for between $6.69 and $6.79, and a shelf-stable way to enjoy a taste of the tropics even as the winter rages on. In one Instagram product review, the poster remarks, "That coconut water ain't no joke [...] Just fill my bath up with this. So good." Indeed, these pineapple spears are already dimensional on their own, but when you introduce that multilayered profile to the cocktail realm, it's the best of both worlds. In another product post by revered fan account @costcohotfinds (with nearly 62K likes), shoppers in the comments section are already sharing mixology inspiration. "Add tequila. You're welcome," writes one, and another adds, "If you empty out half of that coconut water, and add Malibu rum, you have a delicious treat, booze infused!" Here at Tasting Table, we have something slightly more elevated in mind than a plain old liquor shot for putting these coveted tropical javelins to good use.

As a general jumping-off point, any cocktail that already uses pineapple juice in its regular composition will be a solid candidate for a golden pineapple spear garnish. Naturally, this steers our creative focus toward the kaleidoscopic tiki realm. Costco's Del Destino golden pineapples would make an especially fitting topping to a painkiller cocktail; the coconut-infused spear would cut through the drink's rich cream of coconut, nutmeg, orange juice, and overproof navy-strength rum (although these bold elements are a utilitarian sheath to mask an ABV of roughly 11%, hence the name "painkiller"). Or, that girthy coconut-pineapple spear would also elevate a classic Mai Tai in the style of Trader Vic Bergeron: On-the-rocks white rum, dark rum, orange curaçao, lime juice, and almondy orgeat syrup. Pop a pineapple rod alongside the mint sprig and lime wheel garnish. Better yet, assemble an eye-catching sail by skewering the trio together with a horizontal toothpick.

While we're on a saturated trip to Havana, imbibers might pop a Del Destino pineapple spear into a Hemingway daiquiri, which adds pucker-inducing grapefruit juice to the existing lime and rum duo, softened by a touch of maraschino liqueur. Or, in a Blue Hawaiian, that coconut-soaked pineapple would deliver luscious interplay with the tangy, citrussy blue curaçao and round coconut milk. Intrepid mixologists could even add a splash of that coconut water jar brine into the shaker for a cohesive little je ne sais quoi.

These pineapple spear garnishes also totally work with frozen cocktails, like pina coladas, strawberry daiquiris, and Miami Vices. Not into rum? This coconut-logged garnish would also complement a gin-based Singapore Sling or a vodka-based Cosmopolitan (not to mention the visually fabulous magenta-yellow color palette). Serve the latter in an ice-filled pint glass instead of the customary chilled martini glass to accommodate the massive honkin' pineapple — which would even be delish in a vegetal, tequila-based Paloma or a smoky, salted mezcal margarita.

Word to the wise: This will likely come as no surprise to regular Costco shoppers, but (like many if not most products in the warehouse's oeuvre) the availability of these Del Destino pineapple spears is variable. The elusive, buzz-generating product is not currently listed on the Costco website, but customers are still posting about recently purchasing this product on social media. One commenter on the aforementioned @costcohotfinds post writes, "This came for a brief moment years ago and poof, gone! We loved it so much. I hope it comes back to mine too." Stocked inventory can (and famously does) vary from one Costco warehouse to the next, and this viral find definitely carries a sell-out risk. So, if you happen to spy this hidden gem in Costco's grocery aisles, it might be worth stashing a jar in your home bar for whenever cocktail hour strikes.