Pineapple tea and maple turmeric combine in this refreshing mocktail for an ideal nonalcoholic sipper.
Sometimes, nonalcoholic drinks are boring. Not this pineapple mocktail recipe from The Cottage Westport!
Dubbed “All Bark, No Bite,” this booze-free cocktail from chef Brian Lewis in Connecticut relies on homemade pineapple tea. By pairing that with maple turmeric syrup, lemon juice, and a little black pepper, this drink offers more complexity and interest than most mocktails you can order at a bar.
Nonalcoholic drinks are increasingly popular, whether you’re participating in Dry January, avoiding alcohol for personal or health reasons, or you’re sober year-round. Gen Z and Millennials are drinking less than previous generations, helping to drive demand for zero-proof drinks on menus around the country.
(And on holiday tables — we’re thinking about mocktails for Thanksgiving and beyond!)
Those are just some of the reasons we’re grateful that Lewis shared this pineapple mocktail recipe with us — it’s smart, creative, and we know it’s what the people want!
Not surprising for someone with his level of experience.
Early in his career, Lewis apprenticed under big names like Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin before serving as the founding executive chef at Richard Gere’s Bedford Post Inn, which was named Esquire’s “Best New Restaurant” list more than a decade ago. Several years later, he decided to do his own thing.
“In 2015, Lewis embarked on his own, founding Full House Hospitality Group, which comprises two exceptional restaurant concepts: OKO and The Cottage,” his official bio on the restaurant group’s website reads. “The Cottage, his upscale restaurant located in Westport and Greenwich, Connecticut, garnered an ‘excellent’ review from The New York Times within four months of its debut… He was twice named a semi-finalist for the James Beard Awards’ Best Chef: Northeast in 2018 and 2022. Moreover, he achieved a significant milestone by triumphing over Chef Bobby Flay on the Food Network, solidifying his status among the most elite in his field.”
Which is to say, you’re getting this pineapple mocktail recipe from one of the best. And it shows.
Mocktail Ingredients
- 6 oz pineapple tea (see below)
- 1 oz maple turmeric syrup
- 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- Black pepper, freshly cracked (for garnish)
- Pineapple spear (for garnish)
You can buy turmeric syrup that’s designed for drinks like this one pretty easily online, and there are also readily available maple turmeric syrup options!
Instructions to Make This Pineapple Mocktail
The first step to making this pineapple mocktail is to create the “tea,” which really just requires simmering pieces of pineapple in water to imbue the liquid with its flavor. This will be the base of your cocktail. Follow these steps!
For the tea:
- Heat water in a medium-sized pot until boiling.
- Meanwhile, cut a pineapple into slices, leaving a spear for a garnish (or more if you’re making more than one drink).
- Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the pineapple.
- Simmer for 30 minutes before straining the pineapple out.
For the cocktail:
- Shake the tea, turmeric syrup, and lemon juice (without ice) in a cocktail shaker to create a frothy texture.
- Add ice to the shaker and shake again.
- Strain the mixture over fresh ice in a glass.
- Garnish with a pineapple spear and a crack of black pepper on top.
Recipe courtesy of Chef Brian Lewis at The Cottage Westport in Connecticut.
Pineapple Mocktail Recipe
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 6 oz Pineapple tea see below for instructions
- 1 oz Maple turmeric syrup
- 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 pinch Black pepper freshly cracked (for garnish)
- 1 Pineapple spear for garnish
Instructions
For the tea
- Heat water in a medium-sized pot until boiling.
- Meanwhile, cut a pineapple into slices, leaving a spear for a garnish (or more if you’re making more than one drink).
- Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the pineapple.
- Simmer for 30 minutes before straining the pineapple out.
For the cocktail
- Shake the tea, turmeric syrup, and lemon juice (without ice) in a cocktail shaker to create a frothy texture.
- Add ice to the shaker and shake again.
- Strain the mixture over fresh ice in a glass.
- Garnish with a pineapple spear and a crack of black pepper on top.
Notes
You may also like: this bourbon-based Campfire Old Fashioned.