Before you put steaks and chicken on the grill, brighten the gathering with these grilled cocktails. Grilling fruit adds smoky, caramelized notes that transform ordinary drinks into something memorable.
Skip sugary, preservative-filled premade mixes and refresh your frozen and on-the-rocks cocktails with real grilled fruit. Peaches, citrus, pineapple and mango all respond well to the grill when lightly brushed with oil and sugar. Using fresh fruit gives you cleaner flavors than processed juices, and the small amount of corn oil used here contributes plant sterols found in vegetable oils.
This post presents three easy grilled-fruit cocktail recipes that are fun to prepare and perfect for summer entertaining.
Grilled Margarita
The Grilled Margarita uses fresh limes, lemon and orange with a touch of sugar and tequila. There’s no prepackaged mix—just bright, grilled citrus for an authentic margarita.
Ingredients
- 6 limes
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups tequila
- 1/4 cup orange liqueur
- 3 cups ice (for frozen version)
- 1/4 cup kosher salt (for rimming)
Instructions
- Cut all the citrus in half. Slice one half of a lime into three rounds for garnish. In a small bowl, mix the corn oil, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and brush the mixture on the cut sides of the fruit.
- Heat the grill to medium-high and place the fruit cut-side down. Grill about 3 minutes, flipping once halfway to get even char marks.
- Remove the fruit from the grill. Reserve the slices and one grilled half-lime for garnish.
- Over a strainer, juice the grilled citrus into a pitcher (for cocktails on the rocks) or into a blender (for frozen margaritas). Stir in the tequila and orange liqueur. Chill for at least 15 minutes to avoid melting the ice too quickly.
- Prepare glasses by running the reserved lime wedge around the rim, then dip rims into kosher salt.
- For on-the-rocks: fill glasses with ice, garnish with a grilled lime slice and pour the chilled margarita over ice. For frozen: add 3 cups ice to the blender with the chilled margarita and blend until smooth; serve in salted glasses garnished with grilled lime.
Nutrition information is approximate.
Grilled Pina Colada
The Grilled Pina Colada is the author’s favorite of the three. Instead of canned cream of coconut, this version uses fresh grilled pineapple, coconut water and half-and-half for a lighter, refreshing drink with caramelized, almost toasted notes from the pineapple.
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons rum, plus 1 cup rum
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 cups ice
Instructions
- Cut the pineapple into spears, removing skin and core. Place spears in a zip-top bag with corn oil, sugar and 2 tablespoons rum. Toss to coat and let sit at least 15 minutes so the pineapple absorbs the flavors.
- Heat the grill to medium-high. Grill spears about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until caramelized on all sides. Freeze the grilled spears for at least 15 minutes to cool.
- Reserve six narrow spears for garnish, then place the remaining grilled spears in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Add 1 cup rum, coconut water and half-and-half to the blender with the pineapple puree. Add ice and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with a pineapple spear.
Nutrition information is approximate.
Grilled Peach Bellini
The Grilled Peach Bellini is a sparkling option for those who prefer wine to spirits. Pureed grilled peaches add depth and a hint of caramel to this Prosecco-style cocktail.
Ingredients
- 4 peaches
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons corn oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups ice
- 1 750-ml bottle Prosecco
Instructions
- Halve the peaches and remove pits. Halve the lemon. Mix corn oil and sugar and brush on the cut sides of peaches and lemon.
- Heat the grill to medium-high and grill peaches and lemon cut-side down for about 3 minutes to develop grill marks and caramelization.
- Remove from the grill and reserve one peach half for garnish. Remove skins from the remaining peaches and add to a blender. Squeeze the grilled lemon juice into the blender, taking care to avoid seeds. Chill the puree for at least 15 minutes.
- Add 2 cups ice and blend until smooth. When ready to serve, pour the peach puree into a pitcher, add the chilled Prosecco and stir gently to combine. Slice the reserved peach half for garnish and serve in champagne flutes.
Nutrition information is approximate.
Gather your fruit, a little oil, some sugar and your favorite spirits or bubbly, then fire up the grill. Grilled cocktails add a smoky-sweet twist that will make your summer party stand out.