Pina Colada is a sweet cocktail prepared with rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice. The drink tastes best when chilled. To give a chilling effect make sure you blend or shake the mixture with ice before offering.
Pina Colada is Puerto Rican but who is the first one to make it is still the topic of debate. This is one of the tropical cocktails. The drink is available ready to drink but trying this fresh recipe offers you the stimulating taste that lasts long.
Among all the stories the best one is the origin comes out of the Caribe Hilton Hotel’s Beachcomber Bar. It was during 1954 when the bartender spent 3 months to invent the signature cocktail and ends up with the Pina Colada.
Another story points towards the bartender at the Beachcomber Bar who was trying hard to prepare the drink in the middle of the coconut shortage.
The third story is of the bartender who was working at another Puerto Rican bar, Barrachina. He invented the drink in 1963 by mixing the rum, coconut, and pineapple.
Every year on July 10 the National Pina Colada Day is celebrated. The cocktail gained fame in Puerto Rico in 1978 and later around the globe in 1979.
Pina Colada Mix
Pina Colada with the perfect blend of rum, coconut, pineapple, and lime juice date back to more than a half-century. However, the drink is not included as the everyday drink but goes the best when your mood is festive or there is some special occasion.
It is frosty with the coconut essence that only requires a little effort and blender to mix the ingredients well.
Also, to make the drink extra appetizing go for the Puerto Rican, Dominican, or Cuban Rum.
Pina Colaodo Ingredients
Here is the list of ingredients required to prepare the best coconut cocktail Pina Colada.
- Light Rum: 2 ounces
- Pineapple Juice: 2 ounces
- Cream of Coconut: 1.5 ounces
- Pineapple Wedge: Garnished
- Maraschino Cherry: Garnished
How to Make Pina Colada?
- To make the perfect Pina Colada mix start preparing your drink with rum.
- After rum adds unsweetened pineapple juice and coconut cream.
- Blend the ingredients in the blender.
- It is good to blend the ingredients on high with the crushed ice.
- Pour the mixture in the tall glass and garnish it with cherry, pineapple or any fruit you found.
What Does Pina Colada Taste Like?
Is your mouth watering after knowing the secret recipe of the drink and wondering how it would taste like?
The overall drink of Pina Colada resembles a smoothie and it is very cold.
Considering the taste, it is sour at first due to the presence of pineapple and slowly the taste turns to sweet once the rum and coconut kicked the drink.
The actual taste of the drink is of the coconut and pineapple with a little warmth of rum.
You can bring variation in the drink by limiting the use of coconut in the drink. Also, you can prepare it without rum and replacing it with brown sugar. Pick the recipe that goes best with your taste buds.
Tips for Preparing the Best Pina Colada
Pick the Best Quality Rum
The only liquor that is used to prepare the Pina Colada is rum. It is good to choose the best quality rum to prepare the drink. Pick the white rum like Ron Matusalem or Mount Gay. Spending more to buy rum will offer you the great taste
Once you get the taste of Pina Colada with white rum we assure you that you would like to go with the aged rum or other flavored rum. You can experiment with the drink with different rum but it is good to lay the foundation of the drink with the right base.
Use the Best and Fresh Pineapple Juice
Either make or break the Pina Colada by using the pineapple juice. You can make a fantastic drink with fresh pineapple juice. You can get the 6 ounces of fresh pineapple juice from with an average weight of 2 to 5 pounds i.e. a single pineapple can give you 12 to 30 ounces of fresh juices.
If you do not have a juicer than pick the right brand of the pineapple juice.
If wondering and looking for the right brand then go for Dole. It has been the right and favorite brand. Use the 6 to 8 ounces cans to prepare the perfect drink.
Understand the Difference Between the Coconut Cream and Cream of Coconut.
Since there are different options for coconut creams like coconut milk, coconut cream and the cream of coconut. It is important to pick the right ingredient, but for that, it is essential to know the difference between the three.
Coconut milk goes best for the blended Pina Colada but when willing to try the shaken version pick the other option in the list.
Coconut cream, the skimmed portion from the top of coconut milk. It has comparatively less water and goes okay for preparing the Pina Colada.
Cream of Coconut is another option for preparing the cocktail. It is rich, thicker and has added sugar into it. It goes best for preparing the drink.
Shaking the mixture will make you foamy and the addition of cream of coconut makes the drink creamy and tasty.
Pina Colada Variations
Here is the variation of the drink, you can replace rum, prepare cupcakes and enjoy the frozen Pina Colada.
Virgin Pina Colada Recipe
When it is the time for spring and summer party then opt for something new, the virgin Pina Colada Recipe. It is a refreshing drink with great taste.
Get the mouth-watering drink by blending the Pina Colada with ice. The only difference in preparing the Virgin Pina Colada Recipe is replacing the Coconut Cream with Coconut milk.
Also, the drink uses the cold pineapple chunks thus eliminating the use of much ice in the drink.
Add all the ingredients and blend the mixture until you get the smooth and creamy consistency.
Here is the recipe of Virgin Pina Colada, a Non-Alcoholic Pina Colada explained in brief:
Ingredients
- Frozen unsweetened pineapple chunks: 1.5 cups
- Ice: 0.25 cup
- Unsweetened pineapple juice: 1 cup
- Unsweetened Coconut milk: 1 cup
- Brown sugar (Optional): 1-3 spoons
- Fresh pineapple wedges: Garnished
- Maraschino Cherry: Garnished
Preparation
- Gather all ingredients
- Place the pineapple chunks and ice at the bottom of the blender.
- Add pineapple juice and coconut milk on the top. If using the brown sugar, add it to the mixture. Blend it until you get the smooth mixture.
- Pour it in the glass and garnish it with fresh pineapple wedges or maraschino cherry.
- Serve and enjoy the drink.
Frozen Pina Colada Recipe
Here is another great variation of the famous tropical drink, the Pina Colada; the Frozen Pina Colada Recipe.
Ingredients
- White Rum: 2 ounces
- Pineapple Juice: 1 ounce
- Cream of Coconut: 1 ounce
- Lime Juice: 1/4 ounce
- Ice: 1.5 cups
- Maraschino Cherry: Garnished
- Pineapple Wedges: Garnished
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the ingredients
- Blend them with ice to get the smooth mixture.
- Pour the mixture in the hurricane glass.
- Garnish it with cherry and pineapple wedges.
- Serve and enjoy the great taste,
Pina Colada Cup Cakes
Wondering what is it!
No wonder Pina Colada is the dessert that one must try at least once. We assure you that its great taste will attract you again.
Pina Colada is a soft, moist, and fluffy dessert with the great taste of Pina Colada.
Here is the recipe to prepare the dessert.
Preparation Steps
- Prepare the batter for cupcakes and fill the paper line muffin cups.
- Fill 3/4 cup.
- Bake them in the preheated oven.
- Cool them on the wire rack.
If you like the recipe of the drink and other variations then do try it. We assure you no cocktail has the coconut better than the Pina Colada. To make the drink more simple mix of golden rum and coconut water in the glass.
Frost them with the coconut buttercream and sprinkle the shredded coconut.
Make it alluring by decorating it with the fresh pineapple slices and maraschino cherries.
Vodka Pina Colada
Are you the one who loves the taste of Pine Coladas. If you want to taste something similar with some additional taste then here are some great suggestions for you.
Since Pina Colada is prepared with some handful of ingredients and goes best with the white rum. It is either served frozen or on the rock. The base of the drink is rum but what if you remove the rum.
You will be astonished to know that Pina Colada can taste great even without rum or say by replacing the rum with vodka.
Vodka is the most common drink that is part of almost every party. Since vodka is not as sweet as rum you can add sweetness into it by adding simple syrup or superfine sugar.
Which Vodka to Choose?
Use flavored vodka. Coconut or pineapple-flavored vodka will cut other ingredients from the list. On the other hand, using the vanilla vodka or whipped cream vodka make it more tropical.
Also, there is fruit-flavored vodka that adds flavor and sweetness to the drink.
Pina Colada Vodka Recipe
Pina Colada Vodka is the variation of the drink Pina Colada
Here are the ingredients and recipe to prepare the drink.
- Vodka: 2 ounces
- Coconut Cream: 1.5 ounces
- Pineapple Juice: 3 ounces
- Simple Syrup: 0.5 ounce
Preparation
- Add ingredients to the shaker with some ice.
- Shake the mixture well.
- Strain the drink in the Pina Colada glass containing ice.
- Garnish the drink with a slice of pineapple or cherry and serve it.
Is Pina Colada Strong?
Since the only liquor added in Pina Colada is Rum it is not much strong, but at the same time, the drink is not even the lightest. Using the rum of 80 proof make the cocktail of 26 proof of 13 percent ABV.
Bottom Line
There is no doubt that the drink tastes great and is the best coconut cocktail one could ever taste, but there are only a few bars that sell Pina Coladas. Most of the bars selling Pina Coladas are on a beach.
Most of the bars do not sell Pina Colada but can serve a twist of the drink by replacing the fruit with strawberry or other that is easily found in the area.
Do not get discouraged and get the best taste to enjoy the beach theme night with this mouth-watering drink.
Experiment with the drink and do share your experience with us. We would love to know the variation of Pina Colada created by you!