Don't Make This Mistake With Dragon Fruit Drinks

Dragon fruits earn their attention-grabbing reputations, clad in spectacularly showy, dragon-like spikes and brilliant magenta skins. Though stunningly appealing from a visual perspective, it's the interior that really matters. Fortunately, the inner flesh is a standout culinary attraction in its own right, scattered with tiny, bold, black seeds and either stark white or deep red pulp. Popular dragon-fruit beverages include smoothies, sodas, juices, sparkling waters, and, increasingly, dragon fruit cocktails. It's possible to buy dragon fruit syrups or cocktail mixers, especially for colorful cosmopolitan drinks, but there's a tastier option: using actual fresh dragon fruits. 

For some insight on making dragon fruit drinks and avoiding potential pitfalls, we reached out to an expert in the field: Jayson Goldstein, Food and Beverage Director at YOTEL Boston's Vela Seaport and Deck 12. Goldstein knows a thing or two about working with perky little fruits, given Vela's nonalcoholic pina-passion cocktail and Deck 12's Passionfruit mojito, as well as its watermelon cooler with dragon fruit and Meyer lemon vodka. 

There's one thing that's a no brainer when using fresh dragon fruits in cocktails, according to Goldstein. It involves that pulpy flesh and those defining black seeds. The biggest mistake you can make is not straining them out of the final mixture. Unlike naturally thick smoothies, you want a lighter, more refreshing profile in a cocktail. "Not only does a cocktail have to taste great and be well balanced," explains Goldstein. "It also needs to look appealing."  

Visual appeal isn't everything, but making cocktails is indeed an artful endeavor, resulting in a liquid masterpiece served with flourish and aplomb. In that regard, straining passion fruit is essential. And let's be honest: who wants a mouthful of mashed pulp and seeds when sipping from a fancy glass? That's especially true for evocative drinks such as pornstar martini cocktails. 

Straining the pulp and seeds can be as easy as shaking all of the ingredients, including the mashed dragon fruit flesh, in a cocktail shaker with an inbuilt strainer in the top. However, those jet-black seeds are truly tiny, potentially sailing right through the strainer and into your drink. For the most pristine dragon fruit cocktail, place a small handheld mesh strainer directly over the cup, or over the bowl if making a larger batch, and pour the liquid from the cocktail shaker. You're essentially double straining at this point.   

As Goldstein points out, it's still all subjective. "There is no right or wrong way to make a cocktail, in my opinion. It all depends on the desired look and taste that you're going for." In addition, there are some unmistakable benefits to consuming the pulp. Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, harbors health-enhancing fiber and antioxidants in its pulpy flesh. To get that vibrant magenta color in your cocktail, choose the right type of dragon fruit, specifically the less-common one with a red exterior and blood-red pulp.