Fire & Ice: Smoked Pineapple Mojito

Mojitos usually come dressed for the beach — light, minty, cool. Nothing wrong with that. But I like mine dressed for the backyard. That’s where the smoke and pineapple come in.

Drop a pineapple slice on the grate until the sugars caramelize and the edges catch char. Muddle that with mint, fold it into rum and lime, and top it with fizz. Suddenly the drink doesn’t feel like sand and surf. It feels like smoke and shade, the kind of refreshment you earn after a few hours tending the pit.

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Ingredients

• 2 oz white rum

• 1 oz grilled pineapple purée (pineapple charred on the grill, blended smooth)

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• ¾ oz simple syrup

• 6–8 mint leaves

• Soda water, to top

• Crushed ice

• Garnish: charred pineapple spear + slapped mint sprig

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Muddle mint and grilled pineapple purée at the bottom of a tall glass. Add rum, lime juice, and syrup. Fill with crushed ice, give it a quick stir, then top with soda water. Garnish with a charred pineapple spear and a slapped mint sprig. Refreshing, smoky, and built for the backyard.

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Hosting Notes

✦ For flair: Serve in a tall glass with crushed ice mounded over the rim.

✦ For garnish: Char a pineapple spear for a smoky-sweet accent.

✦ For elevation: Swap soda water for sparkling wine to turn this porch sipper into a celebration pour.

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Pitmaster’s Pour

Want the Mojito to lean even more toward the pit? Make a smoked simple syrup. Set a shallow dish of sugar water in the smoker for 20 minutes, then cool. Use that in place of plain syrup and every sip will carry a whisper of oak.

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From the Porch

This Mojito belongs to the first hot days of summer, when the kids run laughing through the sprinkler and the dog snaps at the spray. Neighbors lean over the fence, glasses sweating in their hands, and the grill throws sweet smoke into the air. The grilled pineapple in the glass matches the char in the pit, tying refreshment to the fire as everyone cools down together.

 

These recipes are intended for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the United States; please follow the laws in your region). Fire up the grill, not the driver’s seat. Stoking the Coals encourages moderation, community, and safe enjoyment of food and drink. Please never drink and drive, and always respect your health, your guests, and the law.