I’ve been been on a pineapple kick recently. Slicing, roasting, charring, juicing, infusing, garnishing. Pick a random PG-rated verb and I’ve probably done it to or with a pineapple in the past few weeks.
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The pineapple odyssey started with my Roasted Pineapple Margarita for National Margarita Day, followed by my first original tiki-style cocktail, the Jungle Boogie. I’ve got one more for you, this time featuring Plantation Pineapple Rum along with St. George NOLA coffee liqueur and the bittersweet duo of Punt e Mes and Fernet Branca. I call it the Jitterbug because this Wham!-tastic cocktail will wake you up before you go-go and put the boom-boom into your heart.
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Add 3/4 oz Plantation Pineapple rum to a mixing glass filled with ice. Released in 2015, Plantation Pineapple rum is a joint effort between cocktail historian David Wondrich and master blender Alexandre Gabriel of Maison Ferrand. The final product is a blend of pineapple rind-infused Plantation 3 Stars rum and pineapple fruit-infused Plantation Original Dark rum. It’s quite sippable on its own – not too sweet – and also mixes beautifully in cocktails with hints of tropical fruit, banana, and spices in addition to pineapple of course.
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Add 1/4 oz Smith & Cross rum. I add this funky high-proof Jamaican pot still rum to accentuate the banana and spice notes in the Plantation Pineapple rum.
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Add 3/4 oz Punt e Mes. Punt e Mes is a bitter vermouth. The name translates to “point and a half” – allegedly in reference to its originating formula of one part vermouth and a half-part of bitter quina. For some, it is the preferred vermouth in a Negroni which doubles down on the bitterness of the Campari. It also pairs well with rye whiskey.
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Add 1/4 oz Fernet Branca. We go from bitter vermouth to extra bitter Fernet Branca. Fernet Branca is a love-it-or-hate-it spirit comprised of 27 ingredients, 5 of which are top secret. Distilled in Milan, it’s flavored with gentian, saffron, chamomile, bitter orange, among other herbs and spices. It has a cult following in the US, especially among bartenders in a ritual known as the “Bartender’s Handshake” which is simply ordering a shot of Fernet with a knowing smile. And you might be surprised to hear that it is a key ingredient in the national drink of Argentina – Fernet con Cola – which helps explain how that country itself consumes 75% of Fernet Branca’s global supply.
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Add 1/2 oz St. George coffee liqueur. Coffee pairs nicely with pineapple, and this is the best coffee liqueur on the market. It’s not the sickly sweet Kahlua or Trader Vic’s variety. It’s made with medium- and dark-roasted Yirgacheffe coffee beans, French-pressed chicory root and Madagascar vanilla.
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Add 1/4 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil. This spirit adds one final exclamation point to the banana notes in the rum.
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Add 6 drops Crude Tiki 500 bitters. Crude is a Raleigh, NC-based operation. Their bitters are top-notch. I feature their Pooter Smoke & Salt bitters in my Dirty Blondie cocktail. The Tiki 500 bitters that I use in this cocktail have charred pineapple, toasted coconut and allspice.
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Stir for 30 seconds and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge. Enjoy!
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JITTERBUG
PAIRS WELL WITH “WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO” BY WHAM!
Ingredients
- 3/4 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
- 1/4 oz Smith & Cross Rum
- 3/4 oz Punt e Mes
- 1/4 oz Fernet Branca
- 1/2 oz St. George coffee liqueur
- 1/4 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
- 6 drops Crude Tiki 500 bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with pineapple wedge.