Profile
The Pina Rita is a margarita that swaps most of the lime for pineapple juice. The structure underneath is unchanged, tequila and triple sec shaken and strained into a margarita glass, but the pineapple softens the whole thing and pushes it toward the tiki end of the shelf.
The detail that separates it from a standard margarita is the rim. This one calls for sugar rather than salt, which is the right call given what is in the glass. Salt works on a margarita because it cuts through lime acidity. Pineapple juice is already sweet and low on acid, so salt has nothing to push against and just reads as salty. It also goes into the glass over shaved ice rather than cubes, which dilutes faster and keeps the drink cold and loose rather than sharp.
Glass: Margarita glass | Strength: Medium | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 3 minutes
Bartender’s tip: Shake this one hard and longer than feels necessary. Pineapple juice foams when it is worked, and that foam is what gives the drink a soft head and a rounder texture in the glass. Canned juice foams better than fresh, which is one of the few times canned is the better choice. Use a blanco tequila, since a reposado will put oak where the pineapple should be. Rim the glass before you shake, not after, so you have a free hand and a dry rim to work with.
Steps
- Shake ingredients over ice, and strain into a sugar-rimmed margarita glass with shaved ice.
- Garnish with a cherry and a pineapple slice.
