Hooray for Mary Pickford!
The Mary Pickford cocktail is a classic cocktail that was named after the Canadian-American actress Mary Pickford. It is a sweet and refreshing drink that combines rum, pineapple juice, grenadine, and maraschino liqueur. The “girl with the curls” was born to Irish and English parents in Toronto, Canada on April 8, 1892 and made 52 films during her red-rocket of a career including her most famous box office hits like “Coquette” (1929), “Sparrows” (1926), “Little Annie Rooney” (1925) and “The Poor Little Rich Girl” (1917).
History
The Mary Pickford cocktail is widely believed to have been created at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana, Cuba. According to one story, the drink was created by a bartender at the hotel who was inspired by Pickford’s visit to the city in the 1920s. The bartender reportedly mixed rum, pineapple juice, grenadine, and maraschino liqueur to create a drink that was both sweet and refreshing, just like Miss Pickford herself.
Another story suggests that the Mary Pickford cocktail was created by a bartender in New York City who was also a fan of the ingénue actress. According to this anecdote, the bartender mixed rum, pineapple juice, and grenadine, and added maraschino liqueur as a tip to Pickford’s Canadian heritage.
Regardless of its origins, the Mary Pickford cocktail quickly became a fashionable drink and was embraced by bartending society. It was included in many cocktail books of the time, including Harry Craddock’s “The Savoy Cocktail Book” in 1930.
Here is a recipe for making a classic Mary Pickford cocktail:
Ingredients
- 2 oz white rum
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- 1 tsp grenadine
- 1 tsp maraschino liqueur
- Maraschino cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the rum, pineapple juice, grenadine, and maraschino liqueur to the shaker.
- Shake the cocktail vigorously for about 15 seconds, or until well chilled.
- Strain the cocktail into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
- Serve and enjoy!
Some variations of the Mary Pickford cocktail may call for the use of dark rum or other types of fruit juice, but the classic recipe calls for white rum and pineapple juice. Additionally, you can adjust the amount of grenadine and maraschino liqueur to suit your personal taste. You’ll find this tipple may put a curl in your own hair!
