Pineapple Soda Floats

Way back in March, the New York Times ran an article about Nora Ephron that contained a delicious description of her favorite pineapple milkshake. It sounded so absolutely amazing that I bought a can of pineapple the very next time I went to the store with big plans to make the milkshakes at home.

I must have thought about them a million times, but that can of pineapple sat there until last week.

Milkshakes are heavy and rich and seem like they need a special occasion. And, honestly, all that dairy makes my stomach hurt. Not worth it.

Then I saw some ridiculously beautiful strawberry soda floats on Pinterest and I knew what I was going to do with that can of pineapple: make homemade pineapple soda to use in floats. 

Light and refreshing, these pineapple soda floats are the perfect way to say goodbye to summer. (Or do what I plan to to and drink them all fall, in complete denial that summer is over.)

The key to these floats is homemade pineapple soda, which is full of bright flavor without being too sweet.

Start by making pineapple simple syrup –  just boil equal parts water and sugar, then add some pineapple and let it steep. You’ll end up with a thick, sugary syrup with a super-concentrated flavor.

Add carbonated water or seltzer and there you go: soda! It couldn’t be easier, and the syrup keeps great in the fridge, so you can make the soda right when you want to drink it. It also makes it really easy to adjust the ratio of syrup to water to your liking.

You can drink the soda just like that, but for the floats just add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. A little goes a long way, so don’t add too much!

You can also add spiced rum if you want a more adult beverage. (Hint: You do.)

Pineapple Soda Floats

Be sure to extract as much liquid as you can from the pineapple for optimal flavor – I used a potato masher to press it all out. The pineapple syrup will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Lauren Keating

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Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can 14 ounces pineapple chunks, drained
• 2 liters club soda or plain seltzer
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• Optional: 3/4 cup spiced rum

Instructions

• Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add pineapple. Cover and let sit 30 minutes. Strain, squeezing/smashing the pineapple to get as much liquid out of it as you can – you should end up with 1 cup of pineapple syrup. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of pineapple syrup into each glass. Add 8 ounces of club soda and stir gently. Add rum, if desired. Top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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