Honolulu Cocktail
Shake ∙ Martini glass ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.6% ABV ∙
The Honolulu Cocktail is a gin sour from the tropical school, mixing London dry gin with orange, pineapple, and lemon juices sweetened with a little sugar syrup. Juniper and citrus lead, with pineapple and orange rounding the edges into a light, candy-like fruitiness over a crisp, faintly sour finish — an easy warm-weather sipper.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 45 mlOrange juice 10 mlPineapple juice 10 mlLemon juice 10 mlSugar syrup 10 mlSaline solution 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge on the rim and a maraschino cherry on a skewer
Tips
- Shake hard for 10-15 seconds with plenty of ice — the fruit juices need aeration and a good chill.
- Fine-strain into a chilled glass to catch pulp and ice shards, keeping the surface clean.
- Squeeze the citrus and orange fresh; bottled juice turns the delicate fruit balance flat and dull.
- Skewer the pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry together and rest it on the rim before serving.
History
The Honolulu Cocktail is documented in Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book, published in 1930, which lists two versions. The No. 1 recipe — the tropical, fruit-driven build this drink descends from — called for dry gin with dashes of orange, pineapple, and lemon juice, Angostura bitters, and a little powdered sugar, shaken and strained. A separate No. 2 took an entirely different form built on maraschino and Bénédictine. Despite the Hawaiian name, gin is the base rather than any island spirit, the tropical juices supplying the reference. Modern versions, including this one, keep the fruit trio and gin while adjusting the proportions.
FAQ
What is in an Honolulu Cocktail?
London dry gin with fresh orange, pineapple, and lemon juice, plus a little sugar syrup to balance the citrus. It is shaken with ice, fine-strained into a chilled glass, and garnished with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
Is an Honolulu Cocktail shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The juices and sugar syrup need shaking with ice to chill, dilute, and combine properly; a stir would leave the fruit under-mixed. Fine-strain it afterward to keep the drink clean and free of pulp and ice shards.
What glass is an Honolulu Cocktail served in?
A chilled martini glass, served up without ice. Pre-chilling the glass keeps the shaken, fruit-forward drink cold, and a pineapple wedge with a maraschino cherry sits on the rim as garnish.
Is the Honolulu Cocktail actually Hawaiian?
Not by its ingredients. Despite the name, it is built on London dry gin rather than any Hawaiian spirit, with tropical orange and pineapple juice supplying the island reference. It appeared in a 1930 London cocktail book, not Hawaii.
