Our rum and pineapple juice recipe makes a simple drink you can enjoy during fall or National Rum Day (August 16). It’s fresh, sweet, and sour, and leaves a faint hint of warmth on your taste buds.
Today’s recipe includes step-by-step instructions on how to peel pineapple like a professional chef. But first, let’s start with some interesting health and nutritional facts.
Is Rum and Pineapple Juice Healthy?
Since this rum and pineapple juice recipe contains alcohol, it would be misleading to claim that this drink is healthy.
For alcoholic beverages, it is best to maintain a moderate consumption. According to USDA dietary guidelines, you should only consume 1.5 fl oz of 80 proof distilled spirit per day.
We try to adhere to the USDA guidelines while crafting the best drink possible. Our rum and pineapple juice recipe ended up containing 1 fl oz of 80 proof distilled rum per serving.
Calories in Rum and Pineapple Juice
There are 128 calories in one serving of our rum and pineapple juice.
Most of those calories come from the rum. If you’re not a fan of alcohol or are trying to cut down on calories, reduce or omit the rum to end up with a simple pineapple juice recipe.
Here, our pineapple vodka is a mixed drink with a good balance of alcohol and fruit juice.
How to Peel a Pineapple
Peeling an exotic-looking fruit like pineapple can be a puzzle, but it’s actually easy. Here’s a step-by-step demonstration of how to peel a pineapple with a knife:
- Cut off the leafy top and the bottom of the pineapple with a sharp knife.
- Place the pineapple standing upright on the cutting board. Make vertical cuts around the edge of the pineapple and cut off the peel, following the curve of the fruit.
- Continue to slice the pineapple further to remove the hard brown spots (or “eyes”).
- Cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise.
- Continue to cut them into chunks that fit your juicer.
This method is quick and simple, but cutting off the pineapple eyes like so may remove too much of the flesh.
You can use a paring knife and carve off the hard spots instead. But carving from spot to spot can be time-consuming.
There’s a way for you to remove pineapple eyes faster without losing too much of the flesh. Here’s how you do it:
- After cutting off the top and bottom, make thin cuts around the pineapple and remove the peel. Each cut should be enough to reveal the “eyes” of the pineapple.
- Notice how the “eyes” form diagonal lines that run around the pineapple. Make shallow, diagonal V-shaped cuts following the “eyes.”
Once you’ve finished, you will have beautiful diagonal ridges that run around the pineapple.
This method may take a bit more time than the first, but it minimizes the loss of pineapple flesh. It’s also a great way to practice and improve your knife skills.
Now that you know how to prep a pineapple like a pro, let’s make this cocktail.
What to Mix with Pineapple and Rum
If you’re looking for ways to tweak the recipe to your liking, we have a few ideas:
1. Alcohol
We use 80 proof white rum for today’s recipe, but feel free to switch to whatever booze you have. That being said, brandy, bourbon, gin, or citrus liqueur would make the best substitutes for rum.
You can also adjust the amount of alcohol to your liking. Reducing or leaving out the alcohol will also lower the calories per serving as well.
On the other hand, if you want to add more, there are a few things to keep in mind.
As mentioned, you are advised to consume no more than 1.5 fl oz of 80 proof distilled alcohol per day.
There’s already 1 fl oz of 80 proof rum per serving of our rum and pineapple juice. So, if you want to add more spirits, you can only add 0.5 fl oz.
Our healthier options include this pineapple drink that may help the body detox, this refreshing summer drink with cucumber, and a list of fresh juices with pineapple.
2. Spices
For today’s rum and pineapple recipe, we use star anise to spice up our drink. However, you can experiment with other spices as well.
We recommend a few spices that can pair nicely with today’s drink: cinnamon, cardamon, and cayenne pepper. Herbs such as rosemary, basil, or thyme can be added to the cocktail as well.
3. Citrus
If you’re a regular reader here on Healthy Kitchen 101, you’ve probably noticed we love adding citrus to our drinks.
It’s because citrus juice can brighten up any drink and make it fresher. And you utilize the whole fruit in your drink.
For example, you can add grated citrus zest and its juice to your drink and change its flavor profile. Once you’ve finished making the drink, use its peel and a slice/wedge of the fruit to decorate your cocktail.
Lime, lemon, and orange fit today’s recipe perfectly.
How Long Does Rum and Pineapple Juice Last?
Our rum and pineapple juice contains freshly made fruit juice, so it can only stay good for about 48 hours. That being said, we highly recommend drinking it all up within the first 2 hours for the best quality.
If you’re planning on having a party and making the drink the night before, we don’t encourage doing so.
However, you can make a big batch of pineapple juice and put it into an airtight container. Keep the juice in the fridge overnight and it’ll be ready for your party the following day.
Doing so can improve the quality of the juice— making it fresher than mixing it with alcohol. When it’s party time, all you need to do is mix in the alcohol, sugar, and spices with the juice.
For more drinks for a crowd, see our list of the top juice recipes and enjoy.
Rum and Pineapple Juice Recipe
Our rum and pineapple juice recipe may be simple, but it makes a refreshing drink with a complex flavor profile. Let's check out the ingredients.
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 10 mins
- COURSE Beverage
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 128 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 16 fl ozpineapple juice (from 18 to 20 oz fresh pineapple, about 1 large fruit)
- 4 fl oz80-proof rum
- 0.5 tsplime juice
- 1 tbspsugar
- 1 tspstar anise powder
- 4 whole star anise (for garnish)
- 8 mint leaves (for garnish)
- 2 cupsice
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and cut pineapple into chunks that fit the chute of your juicer.
Put pineapple in a juicer and collect the juice in a large pitcher.
Add rum, lime juice, sugar, and star anise powder to the pitcher. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
Divide the drink into 4 glasses and add ice. Garnish with whole star anise, mint, and serve.
NUTRITION
Luna Regina
Founder
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer