Dole Pineapple Slices

Dole Pineapple Slices are ring-cut pineapple, and in a bar context their main use is as a fruit garnish and cocktail ingredient. Products in this format are usually packed in juice or syrup, so check the label for which one this is. Expect a sweet, bright, acidic pineapple flavor with a juicy, tender bite. Syrup-packed rings usually taste sweeter and juice-packed ones a little tarter. Serve the rings cold. Chilling them in the refrigerator before opening gives a cleaner, fresher flavor and makes them firmer to handle. Drain them well and pat them dry before using them as a garnish, so they don't dilute a drink or slide off the glass. The rings suit the classic rum-and-pineapple drinks. A ring on the rim finishes a piña colada, a mai tai, or a rum punch. Pineapple also works with tequila in a margarita variation, with bourbon in an upside-down-cake-style old fashioned, and with vodka or gin over ice with soda. The packing juice or syrup can stand in for part of the sweetener in a shaken drink, so reduce any added simple syrup to match. For a pineapple upside-down shot or cocktail, muddle a piece of ring in the shaker. Use a tall highball or hurricane glass for blended and long drinks, with the ring cut halfway through so it sits on the rim. In a rocks glass, drop in a quartered ring. As a snack, the slices pair well with salty or spicy foods such as ham, grilled chicken, or chili-dusted nuts, and they work in a tropical cheese-and-fruit board.