While in high school I took two years of French. In college, I took three years of Spanish. And yet, as a twenty-something I speak jack shit aside from English. Maybe some Yiddish. And I’m really not even speaking English all that well to begin with. As such, when I should be able to wow bystanders with my at least remedial grasp of ONE foreign language I’m left nodding knowingly and bullshitting my way through Spanish conversations. Hell, I can’t even read Spanish, which I used to do relatively well.
Couple that mental decomposition with my time as a cocktail writer, it’s not exactly a great combination. The good news is that you don’t have to take several years of a foreign language to get what we’re talking about with today’s cocktail.
Instead, here’s a GIF of ScarJo. She’s always relevant.
No, today’s drink is called the Naranja, which is Spanish for orange. Speaking of oranges.
Something a little less sexual than the previous image.
That’s right. It’s something to eat that’s round and orange. It’s an orange. Naranja means orange. This is an orange drink. (Slightly adjusted from the Zodiac Vodka official recipe “Deep Blue”)
- 2 oz Zodiac Vodka
- .5 oz orange curaçao
- .5 oz Mandarine Napoleon
- 1 dash pineapple juice
- One small chunk of pineapple
- One pineapple wedge for garnish
Muddle the small chunk of pineapple with the Mandarine Napoleon and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker. Top the shaker with crushed ice, vodka, and orange curaçao. Shake the mixture well until chilled and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
This has strong orange flavors dominating the entire drink (obviously), but has been made a bit sweater with the pineapple juice. If you’re not a big fan of pulp (which will come from the pineapple chunk) then you can double strain. Otherwise, it’s a perfect ending to a hot summer-like spring evening.
Cheers!
– Mark
Cocktails, 365 
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