Sassy Piña Recipe

Chill glass and prepare rim

If desired, chill a rocks or coupe glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes. Pour the teaspoon of coarse sea salt or tajín onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the glass rim and dip lightly into the salt/tajín to coat; set aside.

Make vanilla syrup (if not pre-made)

To make quick vanilla syrup, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan with one split vanilla bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Warm gently until sugar dissolves, cool. Store in fridge. Use 0.5 oz for one cocktail.

Fill a cocktail shaker with a generous handful of ice.

Add 1.5 oz Santo blanco tequila, 0.5 oz Casamigos mezcal, 0.5 oz Ancho Reyes, 0.5 oz Cointreau, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, 2 oz fresh pineapple juice, 0.5 oz vanilla syrup, and 2 dashes of fire bitters to the shaker.

Dry shake (no ice) for 8–10 seconds only if you want a slightly frothier texture, then add ice. Alternatively, skip the dry shake and proceed to shaking with ice for a clearer cocktail.

Shake vigorously with ice for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well-chilled (exterior becomes frosty).

Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled, rimmed glass over fresh ice (for a rocks presentation) or without ice for a coupe presentation. Use a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch small ice shards and pulp.

Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a lime wheel on the rim or perched together on a cocktail pick. Optionally, express a lime peel over the top to add aromatic oils, then drop it in.

Serve immediately. Stir gently once in the glass if the sweetness seems concentrated at the top.