Why we love this pineapple upside down cake drink
When we were younger, pineapple upside down cake shots were a night out staple. But, now that I’m mostly past the shots phase of my life, I thought it would be nice to enjoy the same flavors in drink form. So, I mixed up a sour cocktail that brings those classic flavors to a balanced drink.
If you like this sweet pineapple cocktail recipe, you have to try this painkiller cocktail, the famous Hotel Nacional cocktail and this unique hibiscus pineapple bourbon cocktail.
Searching for more pineapple cocktail recipes? This classic Mary Pickford cocktail features pineapple juice and packes a bit more punch than some of the sweeter, tropical cocktails. And this spicy pineapple margarita is an exciting twist on the traditional margarita.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Vanilla vodka – You can use a plain vodka in this cocktail if you like but the vanilla just adds an extra layer of cake flavor. Whipped cream vodka would also work well.
- Pineapple juice – Fresh or canned will work for this recipe, just make sure it isn’t sweetened.
- Lemon juice – Feel free to use lime juice instead here, just make sure it’s fresh sqeezed.
- Agave nectar – I chose this sweetener because it has nice caramel notes to it, and that creates a brown sugar flavor without the work of making a brown sugar simple syrup, but if you have that on hand, it will work well too.
- Egg white – This adds to the texture of the drink and balances the flavors. You can substitute aquafaba or a cocktail frother to make this vegan.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this pineapple upside down cake cocktail
Dry shake. Combine the cocktail ingredients in a shaker without ice. Shake for a good 45 seconds to start working on the cocktail foam.
Shake with ice. Next, add ice and shake again until the cocktail is well chilled – about 30 more seconds.
Garnish and serve. Strain the drink into a cocktail glass (no ice) and allow the froth to thicken for a minute. Then, garnish with a dried orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
If you want, you can use the back of a cocktail spoon to make space on the side of the foam to sink a splash of grenadine. It will form a beautiful red layer on the bottom after it sinks. This is especially nice if you don’t have cherries for garnish.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Drink
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce agave nectar
- 1/2 egg white
- For garnish: dried orange slice, maraschino cherry
- Optional: splash of grenadine
Instructions
- Add cocktail ingredients without ice to a shaker. Cover and dry shake for about 45 – 60 seconds to allow foam to form.
- Open the shake, add ice and shake to chill for another 30 seconds.
- Strain into a cocktail glass (no ice) and allow foam settle and thicken.
- Optional: use a bar spoon to gently move the edge of foam and sink a splash of grenadine to the bottom.
- Garnish with a orange wheel and maraschino cherry before serving.
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