Your Pineapple Desserts Will Taste Even Better With This Cocktail Pairing

While some desserts call on chocolate, caramel, or vanilla for a dose of sweetness, other treats know that the taste of pineapple is unparalleled. The juicy fruit is packed with a bright flavor that enhances many desserts, especially when heated. Furthermore, the fruit takes on a caramelized flavor that becomes richer when paired with the right booze.

Pineapples are sweet and tart, a tropical-tinged composition housed in sunny yellow flesh. Any treat containing the fruit works best when paired with a cocktail that's just as tropical — and mixologist Lynnette Marrero has just the one. "Pair [it] with a mai tai," she recommends. Marrero, who was honored at New York Bartender Week, believes the rum-based drink pairs well with the tart fruit, especially when served alongside treats like a pineapple upside-down pound cake. "The caramelized sweetness of the dessert echoes the rich, nutty flavors of the mai tai, while the rum and lime bring refreshing acidity to balance the cake's density," she says.

A mai tai is composed of two types of rum, often a light one and a dark one. The blend plays into the tropical taste of fresh pineapple while complementing the fruit's newfound depth gained from caramelizing. Meanwhile, fresh lime and pineapple juice, as well as orange curaçao, mirror its brightness while orgeat syrup delivers a nutty, floral finish thanks to the almonds and orange flower water it's made from. The earthiness complements baking spices often found in pineapple treats, like nutmeg or cinnamon.

Syrupy pineapples and tart maraschino cherries are perfect for a mai tai, but Marrero's suggestion works with other variations of fruit-forward desserts. To keep the tropical theme going, sip on a mai tai in between bites of a pineapple coconut poke cake. The treat is reminiscent of a piña colada, another rum-based tropical cocktail. A poke cake is dense and creamy, a result of the pudding-filled holes that line the top of the cake.

The best part about pairing a mai tai with pineapple desserts is that you can interchange the rums depending on what the treat entails. If you're making a cozy pineapple crisp, opt for spiced rum in the cocktail. The liquor has a slight fiery flair, all thanks to the nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. This heat complements the cinnamon and brown sugar in a pineapple crisp, making the drink and dessert combination perfect for wintry days in need of some sunshine.

If you want to bring out more of the pineapple's tartness, pair it with some lemon. This can be done via adding chunks of the fruit to classic lemon bars or whipping up a lemon-pineapple dump cake. Either way, the treats taste delicious alongside a citrusy mai tai. The cocktail features three types of orange liquids, giving it a subdued citrus flair that favors sweetness over acidity. This way, the tart lemon and pineapple treats don't taste too sharp.