It’s wildcard week for quarantine cocktails and I’m kicking it off with a cocktail that shouldn’t work but is one of the most amazing drinkable cocktails I’ve ever made – a Coffee Pineapple Old Fashioned. This shouldn’t work. I mean thinking about pineapple and coffee together doesn’t give you the warm and fuzzies. But. But. . .
You must try this.
In fact, the next time you go to a gathering, with an appropriate number of people as designated by your governor, take a batch of these along as a hostess gift to share with guests. Don’t tell them what’s it it. Just give them the name – Who’s Your Daddy – and have them guess what’s in it. They’ll be able to pick out the coffee, and maybe a little of the chocolate/coffee bitters, but I’m guessing no one will be able to identify the pineapple in it.
Pineapple and cold coffee work. They just do. In the same way that orange and coffee work, the coffee’s bitterness meets up with that sweet bold citrus and blends with it in the most delightful of ways. The slightly acidic pineapple syrup brightens and elevates the coffee’s dark and bitter notes. And it’s far too easy to sip.
We’ve had about three days of these cocktails, and it’s a good thing pineapples are still on sale. Using an uncooked pineapple syrup is the way to go, so I’ve included that recipe in the notes below. Basically, you cover fresh pineapple with sugar and let the sugar draw out the pineapple juice and convert it to a syrup.
As far as ingredients, I used XO Café – a patron coffee liqueur to add the coffee flavor, and Crude bitters “Big Bear” coffee and cacao bitters. For whiskies, I’ve used Old Forester 100, my standby, Woodford Reserve Rye, Evan Williams single barrel, New Riff bourbon and Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond. They are all lovely, but if you want to make sure to keep that hit of bourbon on the palate, choose a bourbon that’s 100 proof or higher.
For those of you curious about the other recipes in the Quarantine Series, I’ll put them here before you skim past to get to the recipe. We had Quarantine Highball week (Highball Whiskey Spritz and a That’s No Moon Lavender Orange Highball, It Ain’t All Sunhine and Peaches, Petals to the Metal Hibiscus Highball and a Root Beer Highball. ) Quarantine Donut cocktails (Maple Caramel Long John, Pecan Sticky Bun cocktail and Blueberry Cake Donut, Boston Cream Cocktail and Apple Fritter Cocktail). Quarantine Juleps, (Breakfast Julep, the Pineapple Sage Rum Julep, Elvis Julep (peanut butter-banana), Root Beer Float Julep, and the Persian Julep (rose-apricot) ). Quarantine Old Fashioneds (Breakfast Wakey Wakey, Smoke and Spice, Home School, Taco Truck, and Campari/Bitter Lessons ). Quarantine Manhattans (Balanced Perfection (Perfect Manhattan), Coffee Manhattan, Chocolate Ginger Manhattan, French Quarter Manhattan, and the Caramel Orange Manhattan.) Quarantine Whiskey Sours (Blackberry Sunset, Whiskey Tiki, Blue Mood Orange, Ya Basic, and Peach Rosemary). Quarantine Smashes (Whiskey Smash, Blackberry Sage Smash, Pineapple Tiki Smash, Strawberry Basil Smash and the Coffee Cherry Smash.)
Who’s Your Daddy? – Tiki Coffee Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz bourbon 100 proof or higher
- ¾ oz coffee liqueur
- ½ oz pineapple syrup**
- 16 drops Crude “Big Bear” coffee and cocoa bitters
- Garnish: spear of pineapple cinnamon stick, coffee beans
Instructions
- Combine bourbon, coffee liqueur, pineapple syrup and bitters into a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir until well-combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a spear of pineapple.
Notes
- 1.5 cups bourbon
- ½ cup pineapple syrup
- ¾ cup coffee liqueur
- ¾ to 1 tsp coffee and cocoa bitters
- ½ c water
