Pine & Apple Colada
At first glance, splitting pineapple into pine + apple seems like simple wordplay. But a closer look behind the name reveals has several layers.
In many European languages, the tropical fruit is called ananas, from nanas, a word in an indigenous dialect of Brazil meaning “excellent fruit.” English, however, took a winding path. Early references in English also used ananas at first, but some explorers didn’t get the memo and began calling the fruit a pineapple, which then became the general term.
The explorers had some reasoning: back then, apple was a general term for any fruit, especially ones that were unfamiliar and didn’t already have a name. For example, even bananas were referred to as “apples” in some writings.
Spanish adds another twist to the story. El pino means pine tree, and la piña means pineapple—hence the famous cocktail piña colada, literally “strained pineapple.”
Interestingly, the word pineapple in English originally referred to what we now call a pine cone—the seed-bearing body of a pine tree. Could the rough, scaly exterior of the sweet fruit have reminded people of a pineapple/cone?
Pine and Apple Colada
The Pine and Apple Colada cocktail plays on this layered history. Recalling the time when pineapple referred to pine cones, green pine cones are used to make a syrup. The syrup brings a resinous, herbal flavor, while optional spices like cinnamon or cardamom can add a warm, aromatic touch.
This is then paired with the rich, velvety Zacapa Solera Gran Reserva rum, plus apples in two forms: crisp, fresh apple juice and aromatic apple eau de vie.
The result is a cocktail that connects languages, history, and flavor—pine and apple in perfect harmony.
This recipe is from the book The Cocktail Balance 2.0 by Stan Harcinik, available as a beautiful hardcover, with 44 more component recipes and 29 more cocktail recipes, or in ebook format, with the added bonus of all the recipes from the first The Cocktail Balance book.
MUGOLIO SYRUP FROM PINE CONES
500 g Young Pine Cones
500 g Cane Sugar
1000 g Water
OPTIONAL SPICES: Cinnamon Stick, Whole Cloves, Cardamom Pods, Vanilla Bean
Rinse the pine cones thoroughly to remove any dirt. Boil them in a large pot of water for about 15 minutes to soften them and reduce the tannins. Drain.
In a separate pot, combine 500 g sugar with 1 liter of water. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the prepared pine cones to the syrup, and any optional spices. Reduce the heat to low and let them simmer gently for about 2 hours. The pine cones should become tender.
Once the pine cones are tender and the syrup has thickened slightly, remove them from the heat. Let the pine cones cool in the syrup.
Transfer the pine cones and syrup into sterilized jars. Make sure the pine cones are completely submerged in the syrup to prevent spoilage. Seal the jars with lids and store in a cool, dark place. They should keep for several months.
PINE & APPLE COLADA
35 ml Zacapa Solera Gran Reserva
10 ml Shake the Pear Fuji Apple eau-de-vie
10 ml Mugolio (Pine Cone Syrup)
30 ml Fresh Apple Juice
METHOD: Shake & Fine Strain
GARNISH: Pine Cone from syrup
GLASSWARE: Patrik Illo
