2 ounces Scotch (we used JW Gold Label Reserve—stay away from anything too peaty like Laphroaig)
3 sprays (or a dash) pineapple-infused Drambuie**
2 ounces club soda
5 drops smoked saline***
3 or 4 dashes Hella Bitters
Pineapple leaf, for garnish
Instructions
In a highball glass combine the pineapple syrup and lime juice. Add crushed ice about three-quarters of the way up the glass. Add the Scotch, Drambuie, club soda, smoked saline, and bitters. Stir the cocktail well, preferably with a swizzle stick.
Garnish with a long pineapple leaf, pointy side up. Careful not to poke your eye out.
Notes
*Making this syrup is easy, but it takes a couple hours. Get pure juice—nothing from concentrate. Measure out a quantity of sugar equal to half the pineapple juice you're going to use and reserve. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the pineapple juice to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to skim the surface of the foam that rises. When reduced by half, stir in the sugar until dissolved and turn off the heat.** In a glass jar combine slices of ripe pineapple with about 10 ounces Drambuie. Cover and let sit for several hours or overnight. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. You can add by the dash or get fancy and use an atomizer to spritz the inside of the glass.***You'll need to get smoked salt at a local specialty shop or online. A couple ounces of salt will be plenty. In a bowl, add hot water to the salt, an ounce at a time, until the salt is completely dissolved. The ratio should be approximately 4:1 water to salt.