Mary Pickford Cocktail

The Mary Pickford Cocktail is a delicious Prohibition-era classic! Mix it with white rum, pineapple juice and grenadine.

Here’s a 1920’s cocktail that has charm: the Maria Pickford Cocktail! Take a sip and it’s intriguing: pleasantly sweet and sour pineapple juice with a slightly funky maraschino finish. It sounds simple: but there’s more to this pretty pink drink than you might expect! How to prepare this noble classic.

What is a Mary Pickford cocktail?

The Mary Pickford Cocktail is a classic Prohibition-era drink made with rum, pineapple juice, maraschino liqueur and grenadine. It was invented in the 1920s and named after Mary Pickford, the popular movie star at the time. She was “America’s sweetheart” in the silent era and had a long and illustrious film career.

It’s not uncommon to name drinks after famous people, like the Hemingway Daiquiri or the Shirley Temple. So it’s no wonder that gorgeous, curly-haired Mary Pickford inspired a drink! The first recipe was printed in the 1928 book, When it’s cocktail hour in Cuba (Basil Woon). Most stories claim it was invented while Mary was shooting a movie in Havana with her husband and best friend, Charlie Chaplin. Although Vanity Fair disagrees, that’s exactly how it was, but it was a popular Cuban cocktail that quickly spread across the United States and around the world. The ingredients you need for a Mary Pickford cocktail are:

• white rum
• pineapple juice
• Maraschino Liqueur
• grenadine

Let’s talk about some of the more unique ingredients, starting with maraschino. Because… it’s not the juice from a glass of maraschino cherries!

Maraschino liqueur… it’s not cocktail cherries

The Mary Pickford has an ingredient you might not have on hand: maraschino liqueur. Make no mistake: this isn’t the liquid from a jar of maraschino cherries! Here’s what you need to know about it:

• Maraschino Liqueur is a clear cherry flavored liqueur. It was invented in Croatia and is still made there, as well as in Europe and the United States.
• What does maraschino liqueur taste like? The taste is mostly dry but slightly sweet, with hints of sour cherry and almond.
• Where can you get maraschino? There are several brands of maraschino liqueur: one of the most popular is Luxardo. It should be easy to find at your local liquor store or online.
• What other drinks use it? Several! Try it in classic maraschino cocktails like the Hemingway Daiquiri, Martinez, Last Word, El Presidente, and Aviation.

Grenadine turns pink!

Grenadine is the component that gives Mary Pickford her pink color. It should be light pink in color, although you’ll often see it photographed in dark pink or light magenta. The original recipe only used a teaspoon of grenadine, which we’ve doubled in this recipe for an even more vibrant color. Note that if you opt for an all-natural, homemade grenadine, it will be much lighter in color. Here’s what you need to know about this glowing syrup:

• grenadine is a sweet, tangy syrup used in bright red cocktails. It is made from pomegranate juice.
• Where can you find grenadine? It’s easy to find at most liquor stores or online.
• What about all-natural grenadine? If you can find it, all natural grenadine is made with no artificial sweeteners or colors. However, some of the all-natural versions are muddy in color. The best option is to make grenadine at home! Homemade grenadine with fresh pomegranate seeds has a beautiful bright color and a fresh, sweet taste.
• What drinks is grenadine used in? It’s best known in grenadine cocktails like the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple and the dynamic Tequila Sunrise and Singapore Sling.

How to Make a Mary Pickford Cocktail (Basic Steps)

Mary Pickford is quick and easy to make once you’ve assembled the hardest-to-find ingredients! Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe below):

1. Pour all ingredients into a shaker and fill up with ice. Shake until cool.
2. Strain the ingredients into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry, if you like.

The most famous Cuban cocktails

The Mary Pickford Cocktail is a classic cocktail created in Cuba, which was a hotbed of cocktail inspiration in the 1920’s! Here are some other Cuban cocktails that were invented around the same time:

• El Presidente Sleek and sophisticated, like a Cuban version of a Rum Manhattan. It also has hints of grenadine and was listed with Mary Pickford in the 1928 Cocktail Book as a notable Cuban drink.
• Hemingway Daiquiri A classic sparkling, complex and refreshing cocktail! Named after Ernest Hemingway, it contains grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur.
• Classic Mojito Is there a more iconic Cuban cocktail than the mojito? Its popularity solidified in the 1930s.
• Cuba Libre This classic drink only has 3 ingredients: lime, cola and rum. (Yes, it’s a rum and cola!)

When to serve a Mary Pickford cocktail

The Mary Pickford Cocktail is a sophisticated classic, perfect for many occasions! It’s great for sipping as:

• Happy hour drink
• Drink at dinner
• Late night drinks
• Evening drink between boys or between girls
• Aperitif at aperitif time