Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Pineapple Daiquiri

Pineapple juice does two things at once here: it sweetens and it thickens, which is why the lime stays at full measure and the syrup drops to a bar spoon. Use juice you pressed yourself, or a carton with nothing added, never the sugared canned stuff.

Preparation~2 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 23% ABVMethodShaken8 guided stepsIngredients4Coupe or martini glass

Tropical

In the glassWhite rum · Pineapple juice · Fresh lime juice · Simple syrup

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Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear coupe glass with a shallow rounded bowl and slender stem. — Serving glassCoupe glass

Set up before you pour

Use a coupe glass.

The stem keeps your hand away from a cold drink, while the rounded bowl makes an up serve easy to sip.

Standard size: 200 ml6¾ oz
Ice & serve: Chill it first; serve without ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a small martini glass or stemmed dessert glass.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your coupe or martini glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

White rum60 ml
Pineapple juice22 ml
Fresh lime juice15 ml
Simple syrup8 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 60 ml white rum into your shaker
- White rum
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml pineapple juice
- Pineapple juice
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 8 ml simple syrup
- Simple syrup
05
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
06
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
07
Strain cleanly
Strain into a chilled glass — no ice
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
08
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a pineapple wedge

Know your drink

About the Pineapple Daiquiri

A Daiquiri, minty rum highball and dark rum rocks drink at a sunset terrace bar.

Pineapple is not acid

Pineapple juice reads as acidic but it is not, particularly — most of its bite is aromatic rather than sour, and its pH sits well above lime's. That is why the lime measure does not shrink when the pineapple goes in. Cut the lime and you get a fruit cup. The syrup is what shrinks, down to a bar spoon or nothing at all.

Fresh juice is worth the mess if you have a juicer, or a blender and a fine strainer. A ripe pineapple gives up roughly 400 ml, enough for a small round of drinks, and it keeps about two days in the fridge before the flavor turns flat and slightly cooked.

Common questions

Pineapple Daiquiri FAQ

Does canned pineapple juice ruin it?

Not ruin, but it flattens it. Canned juice is cooked, which trades the bright acid for a jammy sweetness, and most of it carries added sugar. If canned is all you have, drop the syrup entirely and add another 5 ml of lime.

Why does mine come out with foam on top?

Pineapple juice is full of protein and it aerates like egg white when shaken hard. That foam is a feature rather than a fault, since it holds the aroma. If you want it clean instead, shake shorter and fine-strain through a tea strainer.

Is aged rum a mistake here?

Not at all, though the result leans tiki rather than Daiquiri. Oak and pineapple are old friends. Expect the lime to read sharper against the barrel vanilla, so nudge the syrup up a milliliter or two, and pick a lighter aged rum rather than a heavy dark one.

Is the blended version the same drink?

No, and it needs its own numbers: roughly double the syrup, because cold mutes sugar, plus a cup of ice per serving. Blended, it drinks slower and sweeter. Served up, it is meant to be sharp and gone in ten minutes.

What ingredients are in a Pineapple Daiquiri?

A classic Pineapple Daiquiri calls for 60 ml (2 oz) White rum, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Pineapple juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lime juice, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Simple syrup. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Pineapple Daiquiri?

A standard Pineapple Daiquiri is roughly 23% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a Pineapple Daiquiri shaken or stirred?

A Pineapple Daiquiri is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

Sharpen the technique