Ingredients
Base
- 500 mlcold lager beer
- 250 mlcold dry white wine
Fruit
- 400 gfresh pineapple, chopped, or 400 g tinned pineapple, drained
Ice cream
- 500 mlvanilla ice cream, firm
Sometimes added
- 2 tbspsugar, if the pineapple is sharp
- a few ice cubes
Equipment
- a blender
- tall glasses, chilled
Directions
- Leave out the ice cream and it is a strange sour mixture. Use a plain light lager rather than anything hoppy. It must be properly cold throughout. Use a dry, light, unoaked white wine. It must be properly cold as well.
- Cut off the skin and remove the hard core. Chop the pineapple flesh roughly. Freeze the chopped pineapple for an hour if you want a thicker drink.
- Drain it thoroughly and discard the syrup. The ice cream should be firm rather than soft. Take it out of the freezer only when you are ready to blend. Soft melted ice cream gives a thin drink.
- Put the pineapple in the blender first. Blend it on its own until smooth. Add the ice cream and blend briefly. Adding the beer needs a moment of care.
- Pour the beer in slowly with the blender off. Add the cold white wine as well. Blend on the lowest setting for a few seconds only. The drink should stay slightly foamy.
- Add a splash more beer if it is too thick. Add more ice cream if it is too thin. Taste it and add sugar only if the pineapple was sharp. Serving it is done immediately. Pour it into chilled tall glasses.
- Serve it with a straw and a spoon. It separates within ten minutes, so it is made to order.
Technique
- Use a plain light lager, since a hoppy beer will dominate the whole drink.
- Blend only briefly after the beer goes in, or you knock out all the carbonation.
- It separates within ten minutes and must be made to order.
Substitutions
- Tinned pineapple, drained, in place of fresh.
- Any plain vanilla ice cream.
Variations
- Made with strawberry instead of pineapple.
- Made without alcohol, using lemonade in place of beer and wine.
- Made thicker, with more ice cream.
History
Invented in Câmara de Lobos bars in the 1980s and named after Elton John’s song and video.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nikita?
Nikita is a cocktail from Portugal: madeiran blend of beer, white wine, pineapple and vanilla ice cream, blended cold. Invented in Câmara de Lobos bars in the 1980s and named after Elton John’s song and video.
How long does Nikita take to make?
Nikita takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 4 glasses. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Nikita?
Yes, within limits. Tinned pineapple, drained, in place of fresh. Any plain vanilla ice cream.
What is the most important thing to get right in Nikita?
Leave out the ice cream and it is a strange sour mixture. Use a plain light lager rather than anything hoppy. It must be properly cold throughout. Use a dry, light, unoaked white wine. It must be properly cold as well.
