Get in the Mardi Gras spirit with this Hand Grenade Drink. With its trademark bright yellow-green hue, this New Orleans Hand Grenade is the perfect drink when you can’t make it to Bourbon Street! With easy by-the-glass or pitcher instructions.
It’s a strong and fruity cocktail that is excellent for special occasions, but, like King cake and jambalaya, it’s a fun tradition on Mardi Gras!
Please sip slowly; this drink packs a powerful punch, and as always, drink responsibly.
Why You Will Love This Hand Grenade Drink
- Classic Bourbon Street Cocktail – This popular Mardis Gras drink is bright green and funky, perfect for the New Orleans festivities.
- Quick and Easy – Whether you make a single glass or a whole pitcher, it only takes five minutes to make this simple yet delicious cocktail – No slicing, dicing, or muddling is required!
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Simple Ingredients for Hand Grenade Drink
- Midori | Midori liqueur brings a light and refreshing melon flavor and gives the beverage a bright green hue.
- Pineapple juice | Add a tart and sugary-sweet flavor to the drink with pineapple juice. 100% pineapple juice is best, I like Simply Pineapple.
- Liquor | Start the party with a potent mix of vodka, gin, and white rum. Like this Elderflower French 77, this drink is not for the light of heart!
- Optional: Honeydew melon or pineapple for garnish.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make New Orleans Hand Grenade
Pour the Midori, pineapple juice, vodka, gin, and rum into a cocktail shaker full of ice, cover it, and shake it until the beverage is blended and chilled. At least 20-30 shakes.
Next, add ice to a Collins glass (aka Highball) and strain the mixture over the ice. Garnish with a couple of pineapple leaves, slice of pineapple or honeydew melon and enjoy!
Fresh Tips
- Feel free to make this cocktail recipe your own. Different bartenders and establishments have unique variations, so adjust the ingredients and measurements to fit your taste.
- You can make this drink in advance if you’re prepping for a fun night full of festivities, or make it on the spot.
- Any tall glass will work for this drink recipe, like a highball glass or a fun yard cup if you can get your hands on one.
History of the New Orleans Hand Grenade
The melon and pineapple drink was created by the owners of the Tropical Isle bar, Pam Fortner and Earl Bernhardt , for the 1984 World Fair and quickly became its signature drink with secret ingredients. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret.
The fun grenade cup and strong flavor have made it a popular beverage for the wild Mardi Gras celebration in the Big Easy each year. It’s known as New Orleans’ most powerful drink! So there’s a good chance this drink can knock your socks off, so drink reponsibly.
For more festive recipes to enjoy on Fat Tuesday, try my Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya made easily in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker Red Beans, and Rice, and these yummy Mini King Cake Recipe with Crescent Rolls!
Variations
Frozen Hand Grenade Cocktail
On the rocks, the Grenade drink is super tasty. But frozen, it’s on another level! Don’t get carried away, though, it’s an intense beverage for sipping! Because alcohol doesn’t freeze, only the pineapple juice and Midori may freeze; like an adult Slurpee!
Or, just as you would, make a frozen margarita in a blender, filled with the mixed cocktail ingredients, then add as much ice as you desire. If the blender has a smoothie or margarita setting, use that setting, adding ice until desired consistency.
Hand Grenade Mocktail
It’s a little tricky to make this potent drink into a mocktail. I recommend looking for an alcohol-free melon liqueur. It may be a challenge, but they do exist! If you can’t get your hands on one, sprite or a mild fruit juice is a tasty alternative. Then, add the pineapple juice and non-alcoholic vodka, gin, and rum. Enjoy the flavors and fun of a hand grenade drink without the alcohol.
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Substitutions
- Make it bubbly with Sprite or 7-up– Yum!
- Make the drink less strong by adjusting the amounts of alcohol.
- Add a splash of grapefruit juice, limeade, or lemonade for a hint of citrus and tangy notes.
- Try a little sweet-and-sour mix for a fun twist.
- Make it creamy by adding coconut cream– It pairs wonderfully with the pineapple juice!
Hand Grenade Cocktail by the Pitcher (serves 8-10)
If you want to make a pitcher for a crowd, increase the measurements to the suggestions below. This recipe will make about eight servings.
- 1 ½ cups Midori melon liqueur
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 cup gin
- 1 cup white rum
Chill the ingredients, combine them in a pitcher, and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Give it a good stir and then serve over ice.
Storage Tips
If you have leftovers of your grenade Mardi Gras drink, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for three to five days or freeze it for a few months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mardi Gras is the French term for “Fat Tuesday,” which is celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the final day before the Lent season. Lent is a religious time for fasting and praying. People often give up their favorite indulgent foods, like soda, sugar, wine, or red meat. Fat Tuesday was traditionally the day a household would use all the fats in the kitchen to prepare for fasting.
Today, Mardi Gras is celebrated nationwide, but the largest party is in the French Quarter in New Orleans.
Midori is a melon-flavored liqueur, a spirit that is sweetened with syrup or sugar and other flavorings. You can use another brand of melon liqueur, like Bul, if preferred.
An authentic hand grenade cocktail tastes fruity with a dominant sweet melon flavor, a little citrus, and a tropical flavor. While it doesn’t taste strong, be careful; it packs a punch and will sneak up on you.
Best Appetizers for New Orleans Drink Hand Grenade
Serve this strong drink with these fun Charcuterie Cups , which are always a hit at parties – They are like mini charcuterie boards to-go! Or this Easy Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms; great served alongside these Philly Cheesesteak sliders.
Charcuterie Cups – How to Pack a Perfect Charcuterie Board to Go
These individual charcuterie cups are everything you love about charcuterie boards but loads more fun! I'll show you how to pack a charcuterie board to go. These tasty single–serve treats are easy to make, portable, and perfect for gatherings large and small.
Easy Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Got 30 minutes to make a WOW appetizer with simple ingredients? These Sausage and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms are low-carb, gluten-free, and taste amazing!
We all need go-to appetizer recipes, especially when planning a holiday party, game day party or taking to a potluck! And stuffed mushrooms are going to be that recipe!
Best Philly Cheesesteak Sliders Recipe
Ready for the oven in 20 minutes, this Philly Cheesesteak Sliders recipe packs all the savory and cheesy flavors of a traditional Philly sandwich into steak sliders! A great recipe for game day, summer BBQ, tailgating, or just a delicious and easy weeknight dinner.
Best Desserts to Serve with Mardi Gras Hand Grenade Recipe
Go classic and serve beignets; or easy mini King Cakes or these fun Paczkis (Polish Donuts), or these Southern Pecan Pralines and this Magnolia Banana Pudding would also be an easy win!
Easy Mini King Cake Recipe with Crescent Rolls
Bake up some of these easy Mini King Cakes to celebrate Mardi Gras! Transform buttery crescent rolls and pecans into a Fat Tuesday treat, laced with cinnamon sugar and topped with a simple buttery glaze, decorated with traditional King cake colored sugars.
Paczki (Jelly Donuts)
Don’t wait for Paczki Day (Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras) to indulge in these soft traditional Polish donuts filled with jelly, custard, or other delicious fillings! Homemade Paczki are even better than your favorite bakery’s.
New Orleans Beignets
Airy Beignets are fried dough pillows generously dusted with powdered sugar, reminiscent of Cafe Du Monde’s famous treats from New Orleans. Making them at home is surprisingly easy and equally delightful!
Easy No Bake Banana Pudding Recipe
Magnolia Banana Pudding recipe is an old-fashioned Nilla wafer banana pudding recipe (no bake) made from scratch. Thick, creamy and easy homemade banana pudding is made using sweetened condensed milk, and then folded into thick whipped cream, layered with Nilla wafers and sliced bananas for a truly old fashioned banana pudding!
More Cocktail Recipes
- Cherry Bourbon Smash
- Blueberry Gin Fizz Cocktail (Empress Gin Cocktail)
- Cranberry Bourbon Sour Cocktail
- Easy Elderflower French 75 Cocktail with St Germain
Top Tip
Have fun experimenting with the ingredients and measurements of this wonderful melon flavor drink to make it fit your taste! Less strong? Add more pineapple juice and a mixer such as 7-Up and reduce the alcohol.
More Mardi Gras Recipes
- Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Classic Muffuletta sandwich
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Classic New Orleans Hand Grenade Drink Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Midori Melon Liqueur or similar melon liqueur
- 2 oz pineapple juice use 100% juice, I like Simply Pineapple
- 1 oz vodka I used Titos
- 1 oz gin I used Tanqueray
- 1 oz white rum
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker full of ice. Add the Midori (1.5 oz), pineapple juice (2 oz), vodka (1 oz), gin (1 oz), and white rum (1 oz) to the shaker. Cover and shake until the drink is well chilled. At least 20-30 shakes.
- Fill a Collins* glass full of ice and strain the mixture into the glass. *aka Highball about a 10-12 oz glass
- Garnish with a few pineapple leaves, honeydew melon ball, or pineapple spear, and enjoy. See notes to make by the pitcher.
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Notes
1 ½ cups Midori melon liqueur
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup vodka
1 cup gin
1 cup white rum Chill all ingredients well, then combine all the ingredients in a pitcher and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Stir ingredients well before serving.
You can serve with these instructions, fill glasses with ice (keep an ice bucket nearby), pour Hand Grenade, and top with pineapple leaves or slices.
- What is Midori, and is there anything else I can use in its place? This is a melon-flavored liquor. You can use another melon liqueur, the closest one is Bul.
- Can these be made in advance? Yes, these can be made in advance, but they are so simple to put together on the spot.
- Can you make this into a hand grenade mocktail? Well, considering all but one ingredient has alcohol in it, this is a tough one, but here’s what I suggest if you want the spirit of a hand grenade cocktail but without all the alcohol. But if you can find Still Spirits Melon Liqueur Essence, this would be a good alternative; use a non-alcoholic vodka, gin, and rum.
- Add a splash of Sprite or 7-up
- Feel free to play around with the amounts of alcohol to make it a less strong drink.
- Add a splash of grapefruit juice, limeade or lemonade
- You may also try a little sweet and sour mix
On Bourbon Street, you can find these potent cocktails sold frozen or on the rocks; take care, as this is a very strong cocktail. If you desire to serve frozen, you can do one of two things. Mix all ingredients and place in the freezer. The pineapple juice alone will freeze, creating a slushie of sorts.
Or, just as you would make a frozen margarita in a blender filled with the mixed cocktail ingredients, then add as much ice as you desire. If the blender has a smoothie or margarita setting, use that setting, adding ice until desired consistency. Serve immediately. This adult recipe is meant for 21+, please drink this strong drink responsibly.
Nutrition
Nikki
Just in time for fat Tuesday! This one is delicious!
Thanks!!
Lynn B Spencer
Such a fun drink!
Thank you!!
jules
Oh man, this beverage definitely got the party started. It’s delicious and slightly dangerous!
Slightly. ????????
Nabeela
OMG! This Orleans Hand Grenade drink look absolutely refreshing, I definitely have to give them a try.
Thank you!
Sonia
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is so refreshing – and I love mixing it up with the variations! Great for parties! Thanks again!!!
Thanks!
TAYLER ROSS
I made one of these cocktails after dinner last night and it was fantastic! Super refreshing
Glad you enjoyed it!
Angela
This is the perfect mardi gras cocktail! I haven’t had Midori since college… it’s still amazing! Thanks for the great cocktail recipe 🙂
Thanks so much, Angela!
Elisa
Love this Hand Grenade Drink recipe, such fun and delicious drink!! will make it soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You are welcome!
Beth
Hoo boy. I love hand grenades, but you do have to be careful with them. I had one too many and it hit me like a hand grenade. LOL
Lol!! Truth!!