A refreshing and delicious drink made with ouzo and pineapple juice served straight, or over ice. This drink will go down real easy this summer!

Ouzo pineapple cocktail in a glass topped with a fresh piece of pineapple.

Growing up Greek we always had ouzo in the house. Although my parents rarely drank ouzo when it was just the two of them, when guests came over the ouzo flowed. It was served straight, over ice with nuts or xerous karpous as they are called in Greek.

Why I love this recipe

Well, what’s not to love?! I really enjoy entertaining, especially in the summer when the days are longer and we can enjoy some warm weather. We fire up the grill, gather as many people as we can in the backyard, play some Greek music and have the greatest of times! Entertaining in the summer just seems easier!

The cooler full of drinks, guests are always invited to help themselves to wine, soda, fancy and not-so-fancy waters, and beer. I also like to offer a special drink, and something like this ouzo pineapple cocktail is perfect. Only two ingredients so it is easy to make, and affordable. No need for a variety of different (expensive) alcohols that end up costing a fortune and leaving you with half finished bottles you don’t really know what to do with.

Key ingredients

It would be difficult to come up with a recipe simpler than this one – only two ingredients, and everything else, including the ice, is optional.

Ouzo This anise flavoured alcoholic drink is quintessentially Greek. I use whatever brand I have on hand, but it has to have been made in Greece of course.

Pineapple juice I make sure that I use pure, 100% pineapple juice for this cocktail. Sometimes this is hard to find, with the pineapple often being mixed with orange juice, or with mango and passion fruit in a tropical fruit concoction. It does exist though, so keep looking 🙂

How to make it

If you are going to use ice, add it to a glass. Add your ouzo and pineapple juice to the glass and then stir to mix well. Garnish your glass with a chunk of fresh pineapple juice and enjoy!

Helpful hints

Use pineapple juice ice cubes

If you freeze pineapple juice in ice cube trays then you can make your drink cold without worrying that you will water it down with regular ice cubes.

Make it sweeter!

I don’t add sweetener to my ouzo pineapple cocktail, but if you want your drink a little smoother then add a half a tablespoon at a time of simple syrup until it is just as you like it. To make simple syrup simply boil equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to a 2 to 3 weeks.

Make it a pitcher!

The recipe which follows is for one drink. You can easily double, triple, quadruple (and so on) this recipe to serve a crowd. I like to make a pitcher of it when I am entertaining and then people can just serve themselves. It goes fast!

Recipe substitutions

If you prefer not to garnish your cocktail with a chunk of pineapple, you can try using some fresh mint or even some fresh basil.

Frequently asked questions

What is ouzo?

Ouzo is an anise flavoured liquor made from grape must (what is left over from making wine) that was first commercially distilled in 1856. To be called ouzo, it must be made in either Greece or Cyprus as it is PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). This, and the fact that it is so beloved, means that ouzo is often referred to as the national drink of Greece.

What does ouzo taste like?

Ouzo is an anise flavoured liqueur which tastes a lot like black liquorice candy.

How can I serve ouzo?

Ouzo can be served straight, or in a glass over ice. Sometimes water is added directly to ouzo; when this is done the ouzo will turn from a clear liquid to an opaque one.

Recipe variations

You can use frozen pineapple chunks instead of pineapple juice to make a frosty ouzo pineapple cocktail.

You can use lemonade instead of pineapple juice to make ouzo lemondada. You can also take a look at this amazing collection of ouzo cocktails!

How to serve

Ouzo is so popular in Greece that there are tavernas referred to as ouzeries, or ouzo bars, where varieties of ouzo are consumed, happily accompanied by several varieties of mezes (small appetizers). For me, these tasty bites are the perfect accompaniment to ouzo, and any sort of ouzo cocktail. If you want to recreate an ouzerie at home, consider serving my ouzo pineapple cocktail with amazing Greek mezes like these:

If you love the idea of this ouzo pineapple cocktail, then I know you will also love these recipes that celebrate ouzo!

Cantaloupe with ouzo So delicious and easy. Allow cantaloupe to marinate in a combination of ouzo, sugar and water and serve with fresh mint.

Honeydew ouzo cocktail One of our most popular recipes, this cocktail is not only gorgeous, but absolutely delicious.

Ouzo lemonade slushie (Slushy cocktail) As good as our original Ouzo lemonade, but in slushie form!

Spoon sweet vanilla with ouzo This is the classic Greek treat, dressed up for grown-ups. Instead of serving the spoonful of vanillia in a glass of water, we serve it with ouzo and water for an amazing quick dessert.

This slushy cocktail made with ouzo and lemonade is the perfect summer slushie treat!

To join our Greek table, sign up here