99 Liqueur Pineapple

99 Liqueur Pineapple is a pineapple-flavored whiskey liqueur from Massachusetts, so it sits closer to a sweet, fruit-forward liqueur than to a traditional bourbon or rye. Products in this style usually put ripe, candied pineapple up front, with a soft whiskey backbone of vanilla, light grain and a trace of oak underneath. Expect a lot of sweetness and little char or smoke. The details provided don't list a proof or age statement, so check the label for strength before you pour. Because the sweetness is high, it drinks best cold. Serve it chilled straight from the freezer or over a few large cubes in a rocks glass. Dilution from the ice softens the sugar and lets the whiskey notes come through. A Glencairn is more than this style needs, but a splash of water in one will open up the pineapple and vanilla if you want to nose it. Neat at room temperature tends to taste syrupy with liqueurs like this, so cooling it is worth the extra step. In cocktails, treat it as a sweetener and flavor source rather than a base spirit. In a Whiskey Sour, use it in place of simple syrup. Keep the lemon juice generous and the bourbon or rye as the main spirit, and the pineapple adds a tropical edge without turning the drink cloying. In an Old Fashioned, a small measure alongside a dry rye, with bitters and an orange peel, gives a fruitier version of the classic. For a highball, build it tall over ice with ginger beer or soda water and a lime wedge, which suits the pineapple well. It also pairs naturally with citrus and sparkling water. At the table, its sweetness suits grilled pork, spicy chicken wings or barbecue, where the fruit balances heat and smoke. It also works over vanilla ice cream or poured into a pineapple-lime punch.