Frozen Pineapple Margarita Shandy

This refreshing Frozen Pineapple Margarita Shandy is the PERFECT summer Cinco de Mayo margarita! A fruity, spicy, crisp margarita – shandy and a dessert all in one!

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and I’ve got the perfect drink recipe today to get your party going. This isn’t just a run of the mill margarita though.

Though I would never say no to one of those either, seeing as how I LOVE margaritas in all their forms (spicy margarita, rhubarb margarita, mint kiwi margarita, smoked margarita sour, frozen mango margarita, and even margarita ice cream!).

This, however, is a margarita, a shandy, and a dessert all rolled into one. An amazingly refreshing Frozen Pineapple Margarita Shandy – with scoops of delicious pink peppercorn pineapple sorbet served with Modelo Especial beer (or Corona Extra). It’s the ideal lead-up to some scrumptious party food and a great time with your friends!

Pineapple sorbet

Pineapple makes for some delicious summer treats, so that was a natural pairing for this drink. From pineapple syrup to pineapple curd, pineapple tart, chia fresca with pineapple, and more, I love whipping up summer desserts where pineapple is the bona fide star!

I used an ice cream maker to churn the pineapple sorbet here, but an ice cream maker is not necessary. I have discussed in the post below how to freeze the pineapple pulp into ice cubes, and then blend them to make a frosty treat instead of sorbet. Similar to how I make other easy fruit sorbet.

I wanted to make a pineapple sorbet with some heat (for that lovely hot and cold contrast – like I did with these spicy pineapple popsicles!) I was trying to find some Ancho chiles, but couldn’t find it anywhere. So I decided to use pink peppercorn instead.

And I’m so glad I did! Not only do they add those pretty pink flecks to the sorbet, but also a mild peppery heat and flavor with some floral notes that truly transforms the pineapple sorbet.

I used fresh pineapple for this recipe, but you can use frozen too. I’ve always loved eating fresh pineapple with some salt and pepper, so adding a bit of peppercorn wasn’t a stretch.

But the pink peppercorn certainly makes it a little more colorful and complex than regular black pepper.

The blended pineapple – peppercorn mix should be refrigerated until properly chilled, before you churn into a sorbet. So you don’t have an ice cream maker? No worries! Simply freeze the pineapple pulp in ice cube trays.

Once frozen, pop them in an ice crushing blender and blend until they are completely crushed. You can add a little bit of liquid to help the blender crush the ice into sorbet. Then pour the crushed ice cubes into a container (ice cream tub), and freeze again.

You can do this on the day of the party too. Blend the pineapple ice cubes with some tequila and pour them into glasses and top ’em up with Modelo or Corona Extra, just before serving. There are many ways to prep this refreshing drink. Although, I prefer to have the sorbet made and ready to go, well before the party.

I made my frozen pineapple margarita shandy with Modelo beer. It’s a rich, full-flavored Pilsner-style lager with a very crisp, refreshing taste and complements this margarita shandy to a tee.

It’s also got a hint of herb with a unique orange blossom honey aroma that truly fills your senses and elevates this fruity cocktail. This margarita shandy is an ice cold drink/dessert with a bit of salt, mild peppery heat, and it’s sweet and citrusy, and smells tropical and floral at the same time. This is the kind of drink that puts you in the mood to make the best of every moment.

You can also use Corona Extra to make this frozen pineapple margarita shandy. It also has a very smooth, refreshing taste with a fruity-honey aroma that pairs beautifully with the pink peppercorn pineapple sorbet.

How to serve this pineapple margarita shandy

You can serve this frozen pineapple margarita shandy any way you’d like. Leave out the tequila and serve it as a refreshing tropical shandy in a tall beer glass, OR rim the glass with salt and pink peppercorn (like I have shown in the pictures here).

Or add a generous shot of tequila and Modelo Especial and turn the cocktail into a margarita shandy – a great mashup of two delicious cocktail styles. This is going to get your party / evening off to a rollicking start!

Having a great spread is just as important for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations! The great thing about this frozen pineapple margarita shandy is that it pairs well with delicious Mexican classics like these tequila braised carnitas and pork carnitas tacos.

Or how about fish tacos? And maybe a roasted poblano and tomatillo salsa verde for your corn chips, or dessert nachos with caramel sauce or churros with easy dulce de leche for an unforgettable sweet twist?

So get your summer festivities off to a great start with Cinco de Mayo this year, and make sure you’ve got plenty of Corona Extra and Modelo beers stocked up in your fridge, to make all those moments with friends and family that much more memorable!