You wouldn’t think that a basil, pineapple, and tequila cocktail is a riff on a pizza, let alone a Hawaiian pizza (and the jury is still out on whether or not that’s even a worthy pizza). But for those of us willing to try anything with tequila, we think this shakes out to a well-balanced drink with a taste of the tropics. Besides, the telltale unification of pineapple, ham, and cheese is just the garnish. Phew.
For the basil simple syrup:
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until the sugar dissolves, a couple of minutes. Add basil, remove from heat, let steep for 10 minutes then strain. Chill before using.
For the garnish:
Skewer the cheese cube on a 6-inch wooden skewer. Fold the prosciutto slice accordion style and add to skewer. Pierce the pineapple wedge last.
For the cocktail:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, and basil simple syrup. Shake to chill. Strain into a martini glass. Lay the garnished skewer across the top of the glass.
Enjoy your cocktail! (please drink responsibly)
For the basil simple syrup
For the garnish:
For the cocktail: