I love tropical drinks, especially if they are full of citrus. While watching the latest season of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I noticed Susie was drinking what looked like a good one! It was pink, served in a hurricane glass, and embellished with a extravagant garnish that included an umbrella. I decided I must recreate it, and the Pineapple Grapefruit Cocktail was born!

Cooper’s Ranch Punch

After looking at various tropical and tiki cocktail recipes, I came up with one that sounded like a winner: Cooper’s Ranch Punch. This drink is typically made with rum, guava juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, a dash of grenadine, and sparkling water.

The 1946 issue of Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink gives the following account of the drink’s origin:

…as far as Honolulu is concerned tropical drinks are few and far between. One of the few is made at a place called Cooper’s Ranch, over the Pali, past Kailua, and situated on a high knoll overlooking the blue Pacific. One of the outstanding features of Cooper’s Ranch is the development of hibiscus blooms which are picked every morning and displayed in every nook and cranny of the dining room of this lovely inn. A traveler to Hawaii should not fail to visit Cooper’s Ranch if only to see this beautiful array of blooms.”

Simple Citrus Swap Means Big Flavor

Between the guava juice and the grenadine, Cooper’s Ranch Punch has the perfect pink hue for a recreation of Susie’s drink. But I decided to give it a little more citrus and swapped pink grapefruit juice for the guava. If you want to squeeze your own, you’ll need just about one grapefruit for the 2 ounces. Grapefruit was just what this drink needed, because it has a nice balance of sweet and tart, and is a pretty color to boot. It is also delicious as a mocktail. Just eliminate the rum and add a little extra sparkling water to your taste. This pineapple grapefruit cocktail is a winner!

A Tropical Garnish

For the garnish, I used half a strawberry, a slice of fresh pineapple, a pineapple leaf, and a little paper umbrella. This was modeled after the garnish on Susie’s drink as well. The strawberry went for a deep dive, but I promise it’s there. Head over to my Instagram to see a video of how I made the garnish.

Looking for other vintage inspired cocktail recipes? Check out my other cocktail recipes.

Can we just pretend it’s summer now? I know many of you are likely spending a lot of time at home, worried about the future, and all that is going on in the world. I hope thoughts of retro tropical drinks bring you a little distraction even though there are some serious very real things going on, and you probably do not have many of these ingredients in your pantry right now. Imagine sipping cocktails or eating coconut pancakes by the pool in 1960s Miami. Think about pink swim caps and rooms full of yellow teddy bears. Binge watch Season 3 again and have a pool party in your living room. Laugh at the funny bits. Take care of yourself. Be considerate of others. We got this!