Rum and Pineapple Cocktails

Rum and pineapple is the base pair of nearly every tropical drink, and it works because each covers the other's weakness. Pineapple is sweet and sharp and gives the drink body and foam; rum, particularly aged rum, brings the molasses and oak that stop it tasting like juice.

From there the variations are small. Add coconut and it is a Piña Colada. Add orange juice and grenadine and it is a Bahama Mama. Add Campari and lime and it is a Jungle Bird, which is the one worth making if you think you dislike tiki drinks.

Shake these, always. Pineapple juice needs the aeration and the difference between a shaken and a stirred version is visible before you taste it.