Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Vodka Cocktails

Pearl Harbor

green-colored pearl harbor cocktail with skewered pineapple-and-cherry garnish, served on a wooden coaster

 Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This easy-drinking vodka cocktail is named for the famous naval base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. In addition to vodka, it calls for pineapple juice and melon liqueur (Midori is a popular choice, and the most ubiquitous example).

The Pearl Harbor is similar to the Midori Sour, which features vodka, Midori and either sour mix or fresh citrus. But in this case, the drink skips the citrus and finds additional fruit flavor and balance from pineapple juice.

Fortunately, there are several bottled pineapple juices that work nicely in drinks. If you have an electric juicer, or want to juice the fruit by hand, you’ll create an even tastier drink with more pronounced pineapple notes. But don’t hesitate to use the bottled stuff.

Once you shake your ingredients with ice, you’re left with a cocktail that is cooling, refreshing and a perfect choice for warm weather. It also looks great in the glass. Midori gives it a bright green hue that can turn heads from across the room. Everyone will want to know what you’re drinking. Which means that, if you’re playing bartender for the evening, you’ll likely be shaking a lot more Pearl Harbors for your friends.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka

  • 1 ounce melon liqueur

  • 5 ounces pineapple juice

  • Garnish: maraschino cherry

  • Garnish: pineapple slice

Steps

  1. Add the vodka, melon liqueur and pineapple juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass.

  3. Garnish with the maraschino cherry and pineapple slice.