I’m pretty sure I consumed 12039219812 pounds of Maui Gold pineapple during our trip to Maui last week! When I was told the pineapple in Hawaii is on a whole different level, I didn’t believe it… until I tasted the pineapple for myself! MOVE OVER CHOCOLATE, Maui Gold has my heart now.
On our drive back from Hanna, we picked up a pineapple at a roadside stand and had some leftovers by the time we got back to Kehei. With golden hour in full force, and the desire to get back into the car for happy hour drinks somewhere low, we decided to make ourselves a Maui Gold Disaronno Sour (aka the perfect Luau Drink) to enjoy on the beach!
What I love about Disaronno is that it actually tastes good. Some hard liquors are like drinking gasoline and require SO many other ingredients to mask the taste. But not Disaronno – it’s sweet on its own which makes it a great luau drink for a large birthday party or casual beachside cocktail because you don’t need a lot of ingredients to throw together.
We had a bottle of Disaronno chilling in the fridge all day as we picked it up at the shop earlier that trip, so it was so easy to pop that into my beach bag along with the leftover pineapple from the Road to Hana. Hello Hawaiian sunset!
Here’s how to make it! This recipe makes one sour. Multiply as needed for your group size! This would make an easy punch for a group as it’s easy to pour into glasses that already have a pineapple wedge on them.
Maui Gold Disaronno Sour Recipe (Aka the Perfect Luau Drink!)
- 50 ml Disaronno
- 50 ml fresh pineapple juice
- We just squeezed out some of our fresh Maui Gold we got on the Road To Hana because they are VERY juicy!! If you don’t have a Maui Gold pineapple, don’t fret! You can use pineapple juice.
- A dash of simple syrup
- Honestly, you can skip this with Maui Gold pineapples as they are so sweet!
- Top with a pineapple wedge on the edge of the glass and serve!
Pro tip: Make sure your bottle of Disaronno (which is amaretto) is chilled!
We actually got to go to a luau while staying at the Hyatt Maui (highly recommend this hotel, by the way!) They had an open bar but also provided three different Hawaiian cocktails. A blue Hawaiian (with blue curacao, I think), and orange cocktail with light rum and lime juice, which I didn’t try, and a yellow one that was a pina colada for sure. They also had mai tais for us! To many tropical cocktails!! It was fun trying all the luau drinks and made me realize I needed to share our cocktail recipes for a luau party with you!
Robin and I love to eat locally when we travel. Sometimes this means hitting up craft breweries to farm to table restaurants, but sometimes it’s using local ingredients ot make cocktails – like our little local Hawaiian drink with Maui Gold pineapple! We live in a big city and don’t have a backyard, but this trip and this cocktail makes me want to have a big backyard and throw a party with tons of drinks for a luau all lined up for our guests. Next step – figuring out ot make Hawaiin pulled pork at home! (Hello tasty Hawaiian luau party food!!)
Speaking of Hawaiian luau food, I actually like Poi. It’s common for visitors to hate it, but I thought it tasted like applesauce. Anyways, I hope you like this Maui style luau drink recipe! There’s’ no need to buy pre-made sour mixes, it’s easy to make this at home!
WHAT TO WEAR TO A LUAU
Ok, while we’re on the topic of fun tropical drinks for a luau party, I wanted to share with you links to some of my favorite Hawaiian-inspired outfits to wear to a luau bash!
I wore this colorful two-piece on our evening on the beach but also to the luau at the Hyatt! I had so much fun dressing the part and it made the evening more special. So, if you are throwing your own backyard luau, or simply enjoying a pineapple sour on the beach, throw on a flower crown and something colorful!
Cheers