Mary Pickford Cocktail Recipe: Havana Rum Classic

Mary Pickford

Shaken hard, pineapple juice builds a fine froth, and a spoon of grenadine tints it pale coral. Underneath sits clean white rum and a cherry-almond note from the maraschino, light and very drinkable.

3.8Editors’ rating

Taste3.9

Balance3.8

Easy to make4.2

Popularity30

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GlassCoupe

TechniqueShaken

DifficultyEasy

Time4 min

StrengthMedium (approx. 16 % ABV)

OriginCuba, 1920s

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Ingredients

2 oz white rum a light Cuban-style rume.g. Bacardi · Havana Club · Plantation · Don Q · Flor de Caña
2 oz pineapple juice fresh if possible
¼ oz maraschino liqueure.g. Luxardo · Maraska · Lazzaroni
1 bar spoon grenadine made from real pomegranate

Garnish: Cocktail cherry · Ice: Served up, no ice

Method

Chill a coupe.
Add rum, pineapple juice, maraschino and grenadine to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds to build a froth.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with a cocktail cherry.

Watch it made

Mary Pickford

Taste

Fruity and gently sweet with ripe pineapple, a light cherry and almond note and a soft, frothy texture. Medium strength.

History and origin

The Mary Pickford comes from Havana in the 1920s, when American Prohibition sent thirsty visitors to Cuba and its bars built a whole repertoire of rum cocktails for them. It is named after Mary Pickford, the Canadian-born silent film star who was one of the most famous women in the world at the time.

Who created it is not settled. Early accounts credit American bartenders working in Havana, with Eddie Woelke and Fred Kaufman the names most often mentioned. Whether Pickford herself ever tasted the drink is not documented. It stayed part of the classic Cuban canon alongside the Daiquiri and the El Presidente and is today listed by the IBA among its Unforgettables.

Bartender tips

Freshly pressed or good not-from-concentrate pineapple juice gives a much better foam and less sugary taste.
Use a real pomegranate grenadine and keep it to a bar spoon; its job is color and a hint of tartness.
If your pineapple is very sweet, add 5 ml lime juice to keep the drink lively.

Variations

With aged rum: A lightly aged Cuban-style rum gives more vanilla and body.
Easy twist: lime: Add 7.5 ml fresh lime juice for a sharper, more Daiquiri-like version.