For most of my life (well, since I was of drinking age), I had a thing against dark alcohols. And not just one particular kind. It was all of them. I didn’t try them, and I didn’t think about trying them. I just knew I didn’t like them. They smelled strong, and they were the kind of thing old guys drank on the rocks in musty dive bars. That was my impression, and it stuck for many, many years.
But recently something changed. Call it one too many episodes of Mad Men…call it the prevalence of speakeasy style bars…call it martini overdose. Call it whatever you like. The simple fact is I was lured to the dark side, and I like it. I can’t say I necessarily savor the taste of dark alcohols just on the rocks (not quite there yet), but mix it up with some fresh, light mixes, and I’m all over it. And that’s exactly what you get in this refreshing cocktail. Yep, can you believe it? Bourbon can be refreshing!
The key to this drink is to use fresh pineapple juice. If you have a juicer, that’s the easiest way to do it. I don’t have a juicer so I opted for another method…blend the pineapple in a blender until fully pureed, then strain through a mesh strainer, and strain again with cheesecloth lining the strainer. It takes a bit of time, but the deliciously pure juice you end up with is well worth it. (And if all else fails, store bought juice will work as well).
