My Favorite Piña Colada Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a piña colada and a coconut colada? ›

One difference between the Coconut Colada and a standard Piña Colada is the use of freshly squeezed pineapple juice rather than anything pre-packaged, like the ones commonly found in cans.

Piña Colada translates literally to strained pineapple - meaning without pulp - which was served over ice and had been a standard beverage in the Caribbean for decades. In a 1922 issue of TRAVEL magazine a Piña Colada is described as pineapple “shaken up with ice, sugar, lime and Bacardi rum”.

What is a pina colada? A pina colada - traditionally spelled Piña Colada, is an alcoholic co*cktail made from a combination of light rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice and ice. The drink was invented in the Puerto Rican capital San Juan in 1954, and is attributed to local bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero.

The piña colada (/ˌpiːnjə koʊˈlɑːdə, -nə-, -kə-/; Spanish: piña [ˈpiɲa], "pineapple", and colada [koˈlaða], "strained") is a co*cktail made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice.

Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut is considered the gold standard when making piña coladas. It's available at most large supermarkets, typically found in the section with co*cktail mixers and other drink ingredients.

With roots in Puerto Rico, this rich, creamy co*cktail comes together in minutes and is made with dark rum (instead of white) for bold flavor.

While Lavenue recommends rums like Appleton Estate 8-yr Reserve and Bacardí Gran Reserva 10-yr for the mixture, he goes a step further by incorporating a splash of hogo rum into piña coladas.

No cream of coconut? No problem. You can make a pina colada with coconut milk. This simple take on the classic tropical co*cktail is made without a blender and served on the rocks, but it's just as creamy and delicious as the classic.

If you like piña colada, you should know the famous tropical drink was invented in Puerto Rico! The sweet mix of coconut cream, pineapple juice, white rum, and ice was born in San Juan, but the identity of its creator is still an unresolved controversy on the island.

Malibu. If you're looking for an extra coconutty Piña Colada that's lighter on the alcohol, Malibu is a solid rum choice. Because it's only 42 proof, you can drink a couple without getting too tipsy. It's also great for those who want to up the creamy coconut notes and downplay the fruity pineapple flavor.

What kind of rum do you put in a Piña Colada? ›

What type of rum goes in a Piña Colada? While the classic Piña Colada is made with white rum, you can always experiment with different flavors. Try a gold rum to bring a bit more warmth, or a spiced rum for a unique co*cktail.

The smooth, coconutty flavor of Malibu Rum combined with a burst of sunshine and sweet tanginess from DOLE^® Pineapple Juice create a harmonious fusion that's as peaceful as relaxing on a Caribbean beach.

Come 1978, the piña colada was declared the official drink of Puerto Rico. To make things even more official, Caribe Hilton was presented with a proclamation signed by Puerto Rico's Governor Sila María Calderón in 2004 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the beverage.

The two most famous accounts come from two men in Puerto Rico, Ramon Monchito and Don Ramon Portas. Ramon Monchito is most often credited with the creation of the Piña Colada. Monchito concocted the drink while working as a bartender at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in 1954.

Colada. The tropical trinity of aged rum, pineapple and coconut hero the BACARDÍ Caribbean Colada, ending in a gentle touch of warm cinnamon.

The name 'Piña Colada' directly translates from Spanish as 'strained pineapple', a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice that should ideally be used in the drink's preparation. Three Puerto Rican bartenders contest the ownership of their country's national drink.

Coco Lopez Colada Mix is made with real cream of fresh sun-ripened Caribbean coconuts and Pineapple juice.

They are not interchangeable!

This means that recipes that call for each are optimized for sugar content. The original piña colada recipe calls for cream of coconut, but some pina colada recipes may call for coconut cream and simple syrup.

Piña colada literally means "strained pineapple". The name is a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used to prepare one of the most-popular drinks in the world. This refreshing and sweet drink is made with rum, coconut milk and pineapple juice.