Pineapple Martini (1990s recipe)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.4% ABV ∙
The Pineapple Martini is a vodka-based sour made with pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and strained into a chilled martini glass. Ice-cold and frothy from the shake, it pours silky and light-bodied, with a tart edge easing into a clean, faintly sweet finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 60 mlPineapple juice 45 mlLime juice 15 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge
Tips
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice rather than bottled; it keeps the sweetness from tipping into syrupy territory.
- Pre-chill the martini glass before straining so the shaken drink doesn't lose its chill on contact.
- Fine-strain to keep pineapple fiber out of the glass for a clean, clear pour.
History
This build of the Pineapple Martini reproduces the drink largely as it was first mixed in 1997 by bartender Ben Reed at the Met Bar in London's Metropolitan Hotel, using freshly squeezed pineapple and lime juice rather than a bottled mixer. Reed's version was notable at the time for that fresh-juice approach, and its lime addition to sharpen the pineapple's sweetness was considered ahead of the era's flavored-martini trend. Reed later designated June 26 as International Pineapple Martini Day in honor of his creation.
The drink belongs to the Fruit Martini family (also called Fresh Fruit Martinis or "Fruitinis"), vodka-based cocktails built on fresh fruit juice and a touch of sugar syrup that emerged in London in the 1990s and were especially associated with the Met Bar, where fashionable "Neo-Martini" riffs served in V-shaped glasses became a signature of that scene. The Pineapple Martini simply fixes pineapple as its defining fruit within that broader format.
FAQ
What are the ingredients in a Pineapple Martini?
Vodka, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, and sugar syrup, shaken with ice and fine-strained into a chilled martini glass with a pineapple wedge garnish. It is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, and comes in at about 199 calories per serving.
What is a martini with pineapple juice called?
It is called a Pineapple Martini, a vodka-based drink sweetened with pineapple juice rather than the gin-and-vermouth classic that the martini name usually implies.
