Pineapple Chai Swizzle | Spiced Rum Recipe

If you’re after a real showstopper to impress your pals, a beautifully layered cocktail is hard to beat. Swizzles are not only fun to make, but they’re delicious - and you don’t need much barware to pull one off. So if you have got hands on a bottle of Rutland’s Chai-Spiced Rum, make sure to give this pineapple swizzle a go.
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Drink Ingredients:
▫️50ml @rutlandsquarespirits Rutland Square Chai-Spiced Rum
▫️20ml Pineapple Walnut Orgeat
▫️15ml Mango Liqueur
▫️20ml Fresh Lime Juice
▫️Handful fresh mint
▫️Angostura bitters

Syrup spec:
▫️50g Fresh Pineapple
▫️50g Walnuts
▫️50g Black Tea (1 tea bag, steeped in 100ml water for 5mins)
▫️50g Honey
▫️100g White sugar
▫️1/2tsp orange blossom extract

How to Make

1. The Component: Pineapple-Walnut Oleo

To turn your ingredients into a workable cocktail syrup, we’ll use the sugar to draw out the oils and juices.

Ingredients: 50g Fresh Pineapple (diced), 50g Toasted Walnuts, 50ml Strong Brewed Black Tea, 50g Honey, 100g Granulated Sugar.
Method: Muddle the pineapple and sugar together and let sit for 30 minutes to create a syrup. Toast the walnuts lightly, then blend the pineapple mixture, nuts, honey, and tea until smooth. Fine-strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to remove the grit.

2. The Build: Technique & Presentation

We’ll use a Swizzle technique to ensure the drink is bracingly cold and perfectly aerated.

Ingredients:

50ml Rutland Square Chai-Spiced Rum
20ml Pineapple-Walnut Syrup
15ml Mango Liqueur
20ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
Top: 3-4 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Instructions:

Combine: In a highball glass or a traditional Collins, combine the rum, syrup, liqueur, and lime.
The Swizzle: Fill the glass three-quarters full with crushed ice. Insert a swizzle stick (or bar spoon) and spin rapidly between your palms until a frost forms on the outside of the glass.
Cap: Mound extra crushed ice on top to create a "snow cone" effect.
The Garnish: Slap a generous bouquet of fresh mint against your wrist to release the aromatics and tuck it into the ice.
The Finish: Crown the ice with several dashes of bitters for a bleeding sunset effect and a delicate dusting of powdered "snow" sugar.

Bartender's Note

"The tannins in the black tea and the fats in the walnuts act as a bridge between the spicy chai notes of the Rutland Square rum and the sweetness of the mango. It’s a drink that evolves as the crushed ice melts."