Do you like Piña Coladas?

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                         Do you like Piña Coladas?

When I was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, back in March it occurred to me that I had not written about Piña Coladas yet. How could I have missed the opportunity to write about arguably the most famous and popular rum cocktail in the world?? Trust me, it is not for a lack of loving this iconic drink...... it was more my desire to write about lesser known rum drinks. I will also say that the Piña Colada from its original recipe to today has been corrupted in the United States and likely many people have not had a really WELL MADE one. I am sure the readers know what I am referring to..... Think casual dining chain restaurants: their version of the Piña Colada comes out of a plastic squeeze bottle and is likely blended in a giant swirly blending machine and then garnished with a maraschino cherry and a paper umbrella. You have maybe even had a “Miami Vice” which blends in strawberry syrup to make it even sweeter.

This is not at all what a well-made Piña Colada should be like.

Aside from being such a famous cocktail, the Piña Colada is also associated with its fresh island scent and used in anything from lip gloss to candles to room sprays. The title of this article is a line from the classic song by Rupert Holmes, which I am betting most of you know the words to and are singing in your head right now!

The Piña Colada (Spanish for strained pineapple) was definitely invented in Puerto Rico, but

who the first person was and where are up for debate. The most common theory is that it was originally created by Ramon “Monchito” Marrero Perez, at the Caribe Hilton, in 1954. However, when I was there, we happened upon a sign at the restaurant Barrachina that claimed IT was the first location. It read “The house where in 1963 the Piña Colada was created by Don Ramon Portas Mingot.”. Regardless, what we do know is that its origin is Puerto Rico, and since 1978 it has been the island’s national drink. Jared Brown, cocktail historian, called it “The most broadly influential cocktail ever created”. Iconic is an understatement. 

In the 1950’s, the Piña Colada quickly replaced the Caribe Hilton’s welcome cocktail as the hotel’s signature drink and Joan Crawford even stated once that drinking one was “better than slapping Bette Davis in the face”.

The original recipe was:

2 oz. White Puerto Rican Rum

1 oz. Coco Lopez Coconut Cream

1 oz. Heavy Cream

6 oz. Unsweetened Pineapple Juice

1⁄2 cup Crushed Ice

Blend in a blender for 15 seconds, pour into a tall glass

Now, if you understand portions like I do, you will read this and know that this is either a recipe for 2 or it is an awfully tall glass!! 10 ounces of liquid plus ice makes for a giant cocktail. I would say that this recipe is a drink for 2 people to enjoy.

It is important to also talk a little bit about Coco Lopez -- it was a new product in the early 1950’s and really helped to boost the popularity of the Piña Colada. Prior to it being available, the only way to extract the cream of a coconut was by cracking open a fresh coconut, cutting out all of the meat, cooking it in its own milk, cooling it, using cheese cloth, and skimming off the cream. A long process for sure. Coco Lopez gives you that rich thick coconut cream with a little added cane sugar and saves you from a lot of extra work. These days there are many other brands as well and you can also find unsweetened ones which are really nice depending on what you are using it for.

The Piña Colada may have been invented in Puerto Rico but it is a staple in Spanish speaking countries all over the world. When my brother Matthew and I were in our 20’s we lived in Tucson, Arizona and we spent a lot of time at beaches in Sonora, Mexico. We used to love watching the bartenders in the morning juicing pineapples and cleaning coconuts to prepare for the day ahead of tourists drinking Piña Coladas. In Mexico, they garnish them with freshly grated cinnamon, which I absolutely love.....it adds a little complexity to what is otherwise a really sweet -almost milkshake- style of drink.

As with all classic cocktails, there are always fun “riffs” on them, and keep in mind you don’t have to follow that standard recipe. The Painkiller, for instance, is a Piña Colada with the addition of orange juice, which thins it out and adds a bit more of a citrus element to it.

Below I have included my most recent twist to the Piña Colada, which is incredibly light, low-proof, and a great option if you do not want a heavy frozen drink. 

DAY DRINKER

2 oz. Giffard Pineapple Liqueur

2 oz. Coconut Water

2 oz. Champagne/Sparkling Wine

Chill the pineapple liqueur and coconut water in a mixing tin over ice. Strain into a wine glass or champagne flute. Bubbly and enjoy!!

---Cris Dehlavi---