Some fruity margaritas are cloying, but this pineapple margarita recipe is bright and balanced. It combines the lime juice from a classic margarita with pineapple juice, and then adjusts the amounts of orange liqueur and tequila to keep sweetness, bitterness and boozy bite in check.
Pineapples are better suited to the margarita rubric than some other fruits because, like limes, they’re highly acidic. On the pH scale, anything below seven is classified as acidic. Fresh pineapples can have 3.2–4 pH, while whole limes have 2–2.85 pH.
“Typical sour cocktails will require ¾ ounce of lemon or lime juice to tart them up,” writes Dave Arnold in Liquid Intelligence. For instance, Wine Enthusiast’s classic margarita recipe includes 1 ounce lime juice, and this margarita with pineapple juice has 1 ounce lime juice plus 2 ounces pineapple.
Sweetness and perceptions of sweetness affect how we taste sourness, however, and pineapples, especially packaged pineapple juices, will have considerably more sugar than freshly juiced limes.
Ingredients for Pineapple Margaritas Matter
As with many cocktails, the type and caliber of your juice will have an enormous effect on the outcome of your drink. Buy the best pineapple juice you can comfortably afford and freshly juice your limes.
Similarly, choose your tequila with care. Some of the most popular tequilas for margaritas include Antaño Blanco Tequila, Montelobos Espadín Joven and Tanteo Blanco Tequila.
How to Make a Pineapple Margarita
Ingredients
Directions
If using rim, place salt on plate and moisten rim of rocks glass with lime. Roll a portion of rim in salt to coat.
Combine tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and pineapple juice in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 10–15 seconds, and strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
Last Updated: June 6, 2023
