Hawaiian Smash Martini
Meet your new favorite cocktail: the Hawaiian Smash Martini! Made with tangy lemon, sweet pineapple, and floral-tart hibiscus, this shaken rum cocktail is a fun and refreshing twist on the classic whiskey smash. Perfect for hot summer days or anytime you’re craving a tropical treat.
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Ready for a trip to the islands? This Hawaiian Smash Martini will make you feel like you’re sipping a cocktail on vacation!
Homemade hibiscus simple syrup gives this drink a sweet-tart flavor, while the muddled fresh pineapple and lemon add tangy and sweet components. Add white rum and you have a delightful glass of the tropics.
The Hawaiian Smash Martini gets its namesake from several different concepts:
- Hawaii’s state flower is a hibiscus (although a different type is used in the hibiscus simple syrup)
- The majority of Unites States produced pineapples come from Hawaii. (asmith.ucdavis.edu)
- We “smash” or muddle the lemon and pineapple in the traditional way of a Whiskey Smash.
- Rum is often found in tropical drinks and is the perfect choice for this Hawaiian cocktail!
Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Lemon
- Fresh pineapple
- White rum
- Hibiscus simple syrup
- Ice
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- Cocktail shaker
- Martini glass
- Muddler
- Mesh strainer
How to serve a Hawaiian Smash Martini
Because these are shaken cocktails and not served over ice, they are best served immediately and not prepared in advance.
I like to add a cocktail toothpick with fresh pineapple chunks as a garnish because it makes a delicious treat, but a lemon twist would be a nice garnish too.
If desired, you could make a sugared rim for the glass by rubbing a lemon wedge around the rim, then dip it in a plate of sugar.
Why muddle ingredients in a smash?
Muddling the lemon extracts the oils in the peel, which provides a richer taste, according to liquor.com.
I like muddling the pineapple in this drink rather than using pineapple juice because the flavor is cleaner and less syrupy sweet.
Substitutions
- Store-bought, plastic squeeze bottles are not an ideal substitute for fresh lemon juice. Not only because of the flavor, but because we muddle the fresh lemon to get the oils out of the peel.
- I haven’t tried it, but you could probably replace the white rum with vodka.
- This recipe was developed with fresh pineapple. Canned pineapple may not produce the same flavor.
Looking for more cocktail recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Perfect Dark & Stormy
- Kir Imperial
- Blackberry Moonshine Sangria (shown below)
- Jalapeno Paloma Cocktail
NOTES:
- The state flower for Hawaii is actually the yellow hibiscus, a different variety that what we use to make the hibiscus simple syrup.
- This cocktail is bright, zippy, and tangy with a decent alcohol content. If you tend to prefer sweeter cocktails, you may want to add more pineapple and/or hibiscus simple syrup to taste.
- Need martini glasses? You can get some from Amazon.
Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Hawaiian Smash Martini
Equipment
- martini glass
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup 1" fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 lemon quartered
- 1 3/4 oz. white rum
- 1/2 oz. hibiscus syrup
- ice
- Optional garnish: pineapple chunks on toothpick, lemon twist
Instructions
- Add pineapple to cocktail shaker and muddle until all the chunks have flattened out and all their juice has been expressed.
- Add one lemon quarter to the cocktail shaker with the pineapple and crush with the muddler, then continue with each lemon quarter.
- Add the rum, hibiscus simple syrup and plenty of ice to the cocktail shaker. Put on top and lid. With a finger holding the lid in place, shake the cocktail shaker vigorously for about 10 seconds. Because this drink is served straight up, not over ice, we want it really cold, so be sure to shake thoroughly.
- Place the mesh strainer over the martini glass and pour the contents of the shaker into the mesh strainer. You'll need to wiggle the strainer to get it all the contents out as the pineapple and lemon will partially block the strainer holes. Garnish with a cocktail toothpick with pineapple chunks or a lemon twist. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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I hope you love this fun cocktail as much as I do!