unforgettable · shaken
Mary Pickford recipe
White rum, pineapple, grenadine and maraschino. Jazz-age Havana.
A Mary Pickford is 60 ml (56.4 g) White Rum, 60 ml (62.4 g) Pineapple Juice, 10 ml (11.8 g) Grenadine and 5 ml (5.2 g) Maraschino, shaken and served in a coupe. It pours to about 135 ml before ice, at roughly 19% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glasscoupe
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume135 ml
- Strength (est.)19% ABV
- Time4 min
Mary Pickford ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Rum | 60 ml | 56.4 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Pineapple Juice | 60 ml | 62.4 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Grenadine | 10 ml | 11.8 g | 1.18 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Maraschino | 5 ml | 5.2 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a Mary Pickford
- Set your coupe on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add White Rum, Pineapple Juice, Grenadine and Maraschino to a shaker, weighing each ingredient rather than eyeballing a jigger.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
Mary Pickford: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a Mary Pickford?
Roughly 19% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a Mary Pickford be served in?
A coupe. Chill it first — a room-temperature stemmed glass will undo half the work you just did in the mixing tin.
Can I make a Mary Pickford without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the Mary Pickford
Planter's Punch
Dark rum, citrus and juices with grenadine and bitters.
Hemingway Special
A grapefruit-and-maraschino daiquiri. Papa took his without sugar.
Zombie
A potent tiki blend of rums, lime, falernum and grenadine.
Don's Special Daiquiri
A tiki-era daiquiri with grapefruit and maraschino.
Daiquiri
White rum, lime, sugar. The benchmark for balance.
Jungle Bird
Dark rum and Campari with pineapple. Surprisingly refreshing.