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The 7 Best Passion Fruit Cocktails to Bring the Sun and Fun

Mark Stock
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A glass of passion fruit cocktail with garnish in a bar.

Of all things that embody the sun-kissed tropics, the passion fruit may be the most evocative. It’s a wildly fragrant and flavorful fruit, one that can nudge you beneath some palm fronds upon first encounter.

It’s a great fruit to mix with as well. For the home bartender, passion fruit can be employed in many forms, from fresh-squeezed juice and purees to liqueurs (we suggest Chinola). The glowing orange color of the stuff gives off a sensation of warmth and the juicy flavors and bright acidity make it ideal for cocktails. Perhaps most critically, a good passion fruit cocktail brings the sun and fun when we need it most. Here are seven great recipes to try.

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Little Island Daiquiri

A glass of Little Island Daiquiri with garnish beside a bottle of Coconut Cartel.

(By Kyle Jones, Bon Vivants, Bahamas)

A highly tropical affair, this daiquiri cocktail mixes orgeat with a specific Guatemalan dark rum hit with coconut water.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Coconut Cartel Special Rum
  • 1 oz Passion Fruit Liqueur
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • .5 oz Giffard Orgeat

Method:

  1. In a shaker, combine all ingredients.
  2. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
  3. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Atlantic Love

A glass of Atlantic Love cocktail with garnish in a bar.

This crafty drink comes from NYC’s Atlantic Grill. It’s an elegant mix of citrus, stone fruit, whiskey, and passion fruit.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Michter’s Sour Mash Whiskey
  • .5 oz St. Germain
  • 1 oz passion fruit puree
  • .5 oz lemon juice
  • .5 oz simple syrup
  • .5 oz sour cherry syrup
  • 1 egg white
  • liquor cherries and orange zest for garnish

Method:

  1. Add whiskey, lemon juice, passion fruit puree, St. Germain, simple syrup, cherry syrup, and egg white to the shaker, and dry shake it for 15-20 seconds.
  2. Add ice to the shaker and give it a quick shake.
  3. Pour over into a coupe glass, and garnish with liquor cherries and orange zest.

Fruta de Pasión

An 1800 Tequila bottle in between two glasses of Fruta de Pasion.

Tequila and passion fruit work excellently as a unit, especially when treated to some sweet vanilla and club soda for a little pop.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz 1800 Silver Tequila
  • 3 oz club soda
  • 1 oz passion fruit nectar
  • .5 oz vanilla syrup

Method:

  1. Combine tequila, passion fruit nectar, and vanilla syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain over fresh ice into a Highball glass.
  3. Top with club soda and garnish with a lemon wheel and vanilla bean.

The Passion Project

A closeup of a glass of Passion Project cocktail with orchid flower on a table.

(By Ignacio Murillo, A.O.C.)

This one is a little more complex but worth the effort, hitting fragrant passion fruit with even more aromas with the addition of gin.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Damrak Gin-infused passion fruit rind*
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • .75 oz turmeric and cardamom syrup*
  • .5 oz passion fruit juice
  • orchid flower for garnish

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in tin and shake.
  2. Pour into a double Old Fashioned glass and garnish with an orchid flower.

*Gin-Infused Rind: Wash 6 passion fruits well with cold water then cut them in half. Scoop all the fruit seed juice in a container. In a different 4-quart container, place the passion fruit rinds, dump 1 bottle of gin, cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Strain it through a chinois and pour gin back into the gin bottle for use.

*Turmeric and Cardamom Syrup: Combine 4 cups of simple syrup, 4 ounces of freshly-peeled turmeric, and 15 pods of cardamom in blender. Blend for 1 minute and strain through a chinois, pushing the solids with the back of a ladle to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids and pour the syrup into a labeled squeeze bottle. Refrigerate.

Almost Lost Lake

A glass of Almost Lost Lake with garnish on a table.

This cocktail is inspired by one of Lost Lake’s original cocktails, a formative drink that helped make the bar famous. The below recipe is swell but to stretch it out, you can also add a few ounces of soda water, preferably blood orange or grapefruit flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz aged rum
  • 1 oz passion fruit liqueur
  • .25 oz Campari
  • .75 oz fresh lime juice
  • .5 oz mango puree

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in tin and shake.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a large cube of ice.

Tigre de Valle

A refreshing glass of Tigre de Valle cocktail with garnish on blue background.

A stunning mix of turmeric, pineapple, tequila, and passion fruit, this cocktail truly is a tiger among cats.

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz blanco tequila
  • 1 oz Chinola
  • 1 oz pineapple juice
  • .75 oz lime juice
  • .5 oz turmeric honey syrup*
  • 2 sage leaves

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake well. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  2. Garnish with pineapple wedge and a sage leaf.

*Turmeric Honey Syrup: Juice 1/4 cup of fresh turmeric juice (about 1 cup of fresh whole turmeric). Combine with 3 cups of orange blossom or similar light honey and 1 cup of hot water. Stir until well combined and store refrigerated.

Life’s a Beach

A glass of Life's a Beach cocktail beside a book and sunglasses on a beach table.

A simple drink involving sweet passion fruit syrup and smooth, aged rum, this cocktail is laid back and wants you to be, too.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Bacardí Añejo Cuatro
  • .75 oz Reál Passion Fruit-Infused Syrup
  • 1.5 oz coconut water
  • .75 oz lime juice

Method:

  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake vigorously.
  3. Strain into a highball glass filled with cubed ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
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