Piña colada
White rum, pineapple juice and cream of coconut, blended with ice. Frozen, sweet and tropical.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Hurricane glass
- Strength
- 1.9 UK units
How to make a piña colada
- Chill the glass. Put a hurricane or tall glass in the freezer while you blend.
- Load the blender. Pour the rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and lime juice into a blender, then add the ice.
- Blend. Blend on high for about 20 seconds, until smooth, thick and with no ice chunks left.
- Pour and garnish. Pour into the chilled glass and add a pineapple wedge and cherry. Serve at once, before it melts.
- Glass
- Hurricane glassNo hurricane glass? Any tall glass.
- Ice
- Crushed ice
- Garnish
- Pineapple wedge and a cocktail cherryOr: A pineapple leaf.
What you need to make a piña colada
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- White rumA light, clean rum such as Havana Club 3 Años or Bacardi Carta Blanca.Find it on Amazon
- Cream of coconutCoco Lopez is the standard. Coconut milk will not work.Find it on Amazon
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The piña colada story
The Piña Colada comes from Puerto Rico, and several bars claim it. The best-known story gives it to Ramón "Monchito" Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan in 1954. Another, from the Barrachina restaurant in Old San Juan, says it was invented there in 1963. Puerto Rico made it the national drink in 1978.
The drink needs balance. Cream of coconut brings sweetness and body, so the pineapple has to be sharp, and a little lime stops it tasting like pudding. Blend it with enough ice that it is thick but still drinkable with a straw.
Piña colada: your questions answered
What is in a piña colada?
A piña colada is made with 50 ml white rum, 90 ml pineapple juice, 30 ml cream of coconut and 10 ml fresh lime juice. Garnish: pineapple wedge and a cocktail cherry.
How strong is a piña colada?
Made to this recipe, a piña colada contains about 1.9 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a piña colada in?
Serve a piña colada in a hurricane glass over ice. No hurricane glass? Any tall glass.
