Barbecued pineapple and mint refresher

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Using barbecued pineapple, fresh lime and mint as a base, this refreshing long cocktail is tart, sweet and cooling, with smoky caramelisation from the charred fruit and freshness from the lime, mint and soda water.

First published in 2015

This cocktail uses barbecued fruit as a base to add char-grilled flavour and smokiness to this refreshing, fruity mix. More information on this technique can be found in my guide to smoked and barbecued cocktails which includes more recipes and smoking tips.

A variation of the classic mojito recipe, this drink has the same light rum, fresh mint and lime, but adds cubes of sweet, charred pineapple for extra caramelised sweetness and smoke. Lots of crushed ice and soda water make this a thirst-quenching, long summer drink.

As the ingredients are mixed in the glass and not strained out, they perfume the drink as it sits and make a delicious fruity snack when you’ve finished drinking. There will be some charred flecks in the mixture from the pineapple, but this will just emphasise the barbecued element more!

The strong fibres and high sugars of the pineapple make it particularly good for barbecuing. Beautiful, distinct char lines appear in only a few minutes and it releases easily from the grill.

Should these flavours appeal, but you fancy a more concentrated, martini-style drink, try my Barbecued pineapple mojito royale recipe instead. The ingredients are thoroughly crushed, then strained, resulting in an intense, remarkably flavourful cocktail.

If a barbecue’s out of the question, substitute a cast iron griddle pan, used on the hob. Heat the pan slowly for 10-15 minutes until very hot, then add a touch of oil before searing the fruit.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 2 slices of pineapple, 1.5cm peeled and trimmed
  • 8 sprigs of mint, leaves only (40-50 leaves)
  • 80ml of rum, light
  • 50ml of sugar syrup, unrefined
  • 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
  • crushed ice
  • soda water, to top up

Method

1
Lightly oil the grill and barbecue the pineapple until the first side is seared with blackened grill marks (about 3 minutes), then flip and cook the other side (about 2 minutes). Set aside
2
Cut the pineapple into cubes and divide between the glasses. Reserve two little sprigs of mint for garnish. Slap the rest of the leaves between your hands to release the aromatic oils and divide between the glasses. Squeeze the lime juice into the glasses, then add the squeezed lime wedges. Fill the glass about half way with crushed ice
3
Pour over the rum and sugar syrup. Using a long spoon (and your hand to cover the top of the glass) thoroughly mix the contents of each glass
4
Add more crushed ice and top up with soda water. Mound some more ice on top and garnish with the reserved mint sprigs. Serve immediately
First published in 2015

Specialising in vegetarian food, Nancy has cooked her way around Europe and now writes full time for publications and her blog, Delicious from Scratch.

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