Spicy Tropic Twist Recipe

Make the pineapple puree

Place the chopped fresh pineapple in a blender with the simple syrup, lime juice, orange juice, and kosher salt. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 30–45 seconds. If you prefer a silkier texture, strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Yield should be about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of puree.

Taste the puree and adjust sweetness or acidity: add up to 2 tablespoons additional simple syrup if too tart, or up to 1 tablespoon more lime or orange juice if too sweet.

Infuse with jalapeño

Slice the jalapeño into thin rounds. For a moderate kick, remove seeds from half the slices; for spicy, leave seeds. Add the jalapeño slices to the pineapple puree and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to extract heat and flavor. Taste after 10 minutes and remove slices when desired heat is reached (strain out if you prefer no floating pieces).

If you want a stronger jalapeño flavor without seeds, lightly muddle 2–3 slices in a small bowl and then mix into the puree for 1–2 minutes, then strain out solids.

Assemble the Spicy Tropic Twist (single serving)

Fill a highball glass with about 3/4 cup ice. Pour 1/2 cup (about 120 ml) of the pineapple-jalapeño puree into the glass. Top with 1/2 cup (about 120 ml) chilled club soda, gently stir once to combine and preserve the fizz. Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tablespoon more simple syrup if you want sweeter, or a squeeze of lime if you want brighter acidity.

Garnish and serve

Garnish with a lime wheel on the rim and 2 cilantro leaves or a small sprig. Serve immediately while fizzy. For multiple servings, multiply puree and soda proportionally (about 1/2 cup puree + 1/2 cup soda per serving).