Pineapple Cilantro Serrano Cocktail
This refreshing cocktail is made with pineapple juice, tequila, cilantro and serrano pepper. It's bold, spicy, sweet and herbal all at once. Delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
Thanks to yesterdayโs big news, Iโm in quite a celebratory mood today. What better way to celebrate my Saveur nomination for โbest cooking blogโ than with a cold pineapple cocktail! Clinks all around, friends. I still canโt believe it.
This little number is not for the faint of heart; itโs bold, spicy, sweet and herbal all at once. The sweetness of the pineapple juice and cooling effect of cilantro diffuse the spiciness of the serrano so it doesnโt overwhelm the palate. This cocktail is a treat, so sip slowly and savor it like it costs ten dollars.
I originally intended to get fancy and make some more serrano-infused tequila for this post. Serranos are so high up the Scoville scale that serrano-infused tequila only requires twenty to thirty minutes worth of seeping time. However, Iโm always one for instant gratification (especially when Iโm thirsty), and I figured out that you can simply muddle a small slice of serrano pepper instead. Cheers to that!
Pineapple Cilantro Serrano Cocktail
This refreshing cocktail is made with pineapple juice, tequila, cilantro and serrano pepper. Itโs bold, spicy, sweet and herbal all at once. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- ยฝ small lime, juiced
- 1 small, round slice of serrano pepper (โ th to ยผth-inch thick)
- 1 ยฝ ounces silver tequila
- 3 ounces quality pineapple juice
- agave nectar (optional), to taste
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker or glass, muddle the cilantro, lime juice and slice of serrano.
- Fill the shaker with ice and pour in the tequila, pineapple juice and a light drizzle of agave nectar (optional). Shake well, and strain the mixture over ice in a cocktail glass.
- Garnish minimally with a lime round, or get fancy with a slice of pineapple and sprig on cilantro on a cocktail pick.
Notes
- Feel free to skip the serrano if youโre sensitive to spice.
- I didnโt feel the need to add any agave nectar to my drink, but Iโll let your taste buds decide if you need it.
- I tried muddling up fresh chunks of pineapple, but they didnโt yield enough juice to merit the effort or the wasted pulp. I much prefer R.W. Knudsenโs organic pineapple juice to the canned stuff.
- If you feel lost in the tequila aisle, I like Milagroโs 100% agave tequila, which comes in a cool bottle. Milagro spoiled me by sending me a few bottles to try, but I only mention it here because it is damn good stuff!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Congratulations on the Saveur nomination! Love the bold and refreshing flavours hereโฆ very sophisticated, too.
This just made my friday!
Thank you!!!
Just saw that news this morning, congratulations Kate! How very exciting and much deserved for you :) Iโd gladly join you in one of these awesomely spicy cocktails to celebrate ;)
GIRL. I saw that flipped about 4,000 lids! Iโm SO. STINKINโ. PROUD. OF. YOU. <3 !
Cheers!
Thanks Bev. :) Letโs drink wine again soon!
I wish I lived closer to you- I rarely make drinks at home but I love all of your cocktails!
How far is Kansas City from where you live? Youโre always welcome to come visit once I move up there! Iโll make you all the drinks you want. :)
Congratulations on your Saveur nomination โ very exciting! Love this cocktail recipeโฆhave added it to my favourites list. :-)
Best wishes,
Madame Bonbon
Melbourne, Australia
Such a beautiful and intriguing cocktail.
Love the skewer!
And with this, I have found my signature summer cocktail. Thank you and brava on the nomination!
Iโm so fascinated by the combination of ingredients. This would be perfect on a day like today!
Mixing up some chunky guacamole with fresh baked chips today for an afternoon snack โ this drink will complement it perfectly! Thank you. Congrats on the Saveur nomination!
Thank you! Guacamole and chips sounds like the perfect snack to accompany this drink!
Would love to make a pitcher of these but unsure about how to adjust the proportions (especially the serrano)โฆwhat do you think??
That is a good question, Susan. Each drink is about 4.5 ounces, so you might calculate how many drinks could fit in your pitcher and multiply the amounts given above times that number. I would go easy on the serranoโif your pitcher holds enough for 5 glasses, Iโd use maybe a total of a .5 inch nub of serrano. You definitely want to strain out the serrano; the longer it sits in the liquid, the hotter the drink gets. I think I would muddle the cilantro, lime and serrano, and then strain that into the pitcher. Add tequila and pineapple juice, stir well and pour into glasses filled with ice. That should work!
I love some spice in my cocktail. Cheers to you, Kate!
Kate,
Huge Congrats to you on the Saveur nomination! How exciting! And your cocktail does look like a tasty way to celebrate. I love to combination of sweet and spicy โ always good:)
-Erin
Just voted for you:)
How refreshing does this cocktail look! Congrats on the nomination and I just voted for you!
Thank you so much, Ashlea! I really appreciate your vote. Cheers!
Cheers to you! Congrats! I love a spicy cocktail, looks delish.
This looks delicious and congrats on the nomination, itโs such a big deal!
Thank you so much, Kale!
Just wanted to say โcongrats!โ on your nomination. How exciting and well-deserved!
And this cocktail looks fantastic. I love sassy summer drinks.
Congrats on the nomination! Cheers.
ohh interesting! I have a feeling Iโd love this!
Sounds so delicious. Bookmarked! And congrats on the nomination. xo
Made these for a Sunday afternoon cocktail. I was skeptical about pineapple and cilantro, but they were awesome! Will definitely make again.
Congratulations on the nominations! this cocktail looks and sounds heavenly!
Wow, I love the flavor combos in this cocktail. I sounds super delish.
Congrats & yum <3
I made this today and it is fantastic! Thanks for a great summertime recipe.
Great to hear! Thank you, Myaa.
i love the spice in my drinks. Iโve been experimenting all summer, often with watermelon, which have been delicious. Iโm going to give this a try, but have been marinating my pineapple chunks in tequila for a few days. In other recipes Iโve blended the fresh soaked tequila pineapple and used as a slushy base for margaritas! Yum!
Me too! I love the sound of your pineapple-infused tequila. I made some pineapple vodka and shook it with a little bit of lime juice and agaveโawesome martini!
My husband and mineโs go-to cocktail now! Delicious and spicy!
Absolutely delicious and my new favorite cocktail! I used one whole Serrano chili for 8 margaritas, and it was a perfect amount of spice. Huge hit for at both our beach party, and dinner party. Iโll make it all summer long!
Random question- Iโm looking for the drink recipe that featured your grandmotherโs beautiful cocktail shaker. Iโm obsessed with it and am hoping to โantique one upโ somewhere. Would you mind directing me to that again?
Thank you!
Awesome drink!!! Iโm a spicy margarita gal so this was right up my alley. I overdid it on the serrano peppers because we like things spicy, so next time Iโll use your recommendation of one slice. Iโll be making these all summer!
Hi JoNell, Iโm so glad you enjoyed it. Cheers to spicy cocktails all summer!