How to make a Pina Colada

Here on the island, fruit and veggies grow in abundance. Due to the fertile volcanic soil, there is always fresh produce available on the market. Depending on the season, lychee, mango, dragonfruit, papaya, coconut, or pineapple frequently make it home with us. Add in delicious local rum and you have endless cocktail opportunities just waiting to happen.

Just like a mojito, the pina colada is one of the cocktails that shout tropical island. The recipe include a mix of pineapple juice, coconut cream, and rum. It is served either blended or shaken with ice, garnished with a pineapple wedge. It is the perfect cocktail to make at home with the current abundance of pineapples and coconuts available.

The pina colada comes from Puerto Rico and enthusiasts can’t quite agree who created the first one. According to some research, the cocktail was created in 1954 by Ramon “Monchito” Marrero, the head barman at the Caribe Hilton in old San Juan. Other sources claim that the pina colada dates back to the 1800s when Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí served the drink to his crew to boost morale.

Also Read: Negroni Cocktail

Regardless of who created it, the pina colada is delicious and has become popular globally. It has even become Puerto Rico’s National drink.

The name translated means “strained pineapple”, a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used in the cocktail.

Variations on the theme

There are many variations on the theme and some interesting combinations include:

Angostura colada – with angostura bitters, and lime juice, topped with whipped cream.
Virgin pina colada – without the rum, the non-alcoholic version.
Scotsman colada – substitute whisky for rum.
Blue Hawaiian – adding blue Curaçao for a distinctive colour.

The original recipe included heavy cream that I have chosen to exclude. There are also various rum-to-juice ratios and I again have chosen the one that works best for me. You can play around with the rum-to-juice ratio to find something that suits your taste. But now, lets look at how to make a pina colada.