Pineapple and Cardamom Daiquiri
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 15.1% ABV ∙
The Pineapple and Cardamom Daiquiri shakes white rum with pineapple and lime juices and muddled green cardamom, served up. Silky and bright, with a warm spiced lift underneath the tart, tropical finish and a clean, brisk snap from the citrus.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Green cardamom pods 4 pcs
- Add the remaining ingredients: White rum 60 mlPineapple juice 50 mlLime juice 10 mlSugar syrup 10 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge
Tips
- Muddle the cardamom pods just enough to crack them open — over-crushing releases bitter husk notes into the shake.
- Add the bitters last, as two dashes only — they are easy to overpour and can mute the pineapple.
- Fine-strain the pour so the cracked cardamom husks stay out of the finished glass.
History
The Pineapple and Cardamom Daiquiri is a modern flavored riff on the Daiquiri, built by muddling green cardamom pods and swapping in pineapple juice alongside the classic lime, rum, and sugar. No specific creator, bar, or date has been established for this variation in available records.
The Daiquiri itself is generally traced to the area around Santiago de Cuba in the late 1890s to early 1900s, credited to American mining engineer Jennings Cox, who is said to have mixed rum with lime juice and sugar when he ran short of other ingredients for guests, naming the drink after the nearby iron-mining town and beach of Daiquiri. The Pineapple and Cardamom Daiquiri keeps that rum-lime-sugar base but adds muddled cardamom and pineapple juice in place of part of the lime, giving the drink a spiced, tropical-fruit character distinct from the citrus-forward original.
FAQ
What goes in a Pineapple and Cardamom Daiquiri?
White rum, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup, and muddled green cardamom pods, with an optional dash of aromatic bitters. It is shaken with ice, fine-strained into a chilled martini glass, and garnished with a pineapple wedge.
How do you make a pineapple daiquiri?
This version starts by muddling green cardamom pods in the base of the shaker, then adding white rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, sugar syrup, and a couple of dashes of bitters. Shake hard with ice, fine-strain into a pre-chilled glass, and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Does cardamom go well with pineapple?
Yes, cardamom's warm, citrusy-spice notes complement pineapple's sweetness well, which is why this daiquiri muddles the green cardamom pods first, before the pineapple juice and rum go into the shaker. The spice cuts through the fruit's sweetness rather than competing with it.
Do rum and cardamom go together?
Yes, white rum's clean, neutral sweetness lets cardamom's warm spice come through clearly, which is the pairing this daiquiri is built around. Muddling the pods directly in the shaker infuses that spice into the whole drink rather than just floating on top.
Is it okay to use canned pineapple for a daiquiri?
Fresh pineapple juice gives a brighter, cleaner result, but canned or bottled pineapple juice can work in a pinch. This recipe calls for pineapple juice rather than muddled fresh fruit, so a good-quality bottled juice will keep the drink close to as written.
What is the best rum for a Daiquiri?
A light, clean white rum works best, since it lets the citrus and other flavorings lead rather than competing with them. This recipe uses white rum for that reason, letting the muddled cardamom and pineapple juice stay the dominant flavors.
