The Best Piña Colada Recipe

The classic Piña Colada is an easy to make cocktail made with only three ingredients: rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice. You can serve this simply shaken with ice, but it’s also extremely popular to blend it with ice for a slushy, boozy treat.

This tropical drink is enjoyed on beaches all over the world and it’s the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day wherever you are.

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Piña Colada Origins

The Piña Colada was originally invented in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although the exact creator is not know, it may have been invented by bartender Ramón Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in 1954, although the Old San Juan Restaurant in Barrachina claims the drink was created in 1963 by one of their bartenders.

The name Piña Colada literally means “strained pineapple” in Spanish as fresh pressed and strained pineapple juice is what gives the drink its tropical flavor.

Which Rum is Best for Piña Coladas?

• White Rum: White rum is often what you might use for mixed cocktails as it’s less expensive and with other strong flavors present it may not matter as much. But given that Piña Colada is actually a very simple drink, I don’t recommend white rum, but you can use it if it’s what you have.
• Aged Rum: For a richer and more complex profile, use an aged rum. The notes of caramel, vanilla, and spice complement the mint and lime, resulting in a sophisticated Mojito experience.
• Dark Rum: If you prefer a more intense flavor, dark rum can add depth to your drink. It offers a distinct molasses-like sweetness.

Ingredients

• Rum: While you can choose any rum you like for this drink, we suggest aged or dark rum over light, but you can experiment and see which is your favorite.
• Cream of Coconut: Don’t confuse this with coconut cream or coconut milk … cream of coconut is different in that it is sweeter and syrupier than the other counterparts, so make sure you’re getting the right thing (this one is a fan favorite).
• Pineapple Juice: Since the juice is a big portion of the drink, go for a better quality pineapple juice or consider even juicing your own to make it taste extra fresh.

You can also garnish your drink with chunks of pineapple, cherries, or limes. The Piña Colada is traditionally served in a hurricane-style glass, although you can use any tall glass in a pinch.

How to make a Piña Colada:

Add your rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice to a blender.

Add your ice and blend just until the ice is crushed and slushy. Serve immediately with garnishes of your choice and enjoy!

Try this secret to make your Piña Coladas extra delicious:

Our best-kept secret is mixing coconut cream and coconut milk.

Doing this really brings out the best coconut flavor possible in the drink as just using cream of coconut is sometimes too sweet and also not as coconut-y or creamy.

Combine 1 (15-ounce) can of Coco López Cream of Coconut with 7 ounces full-fat unsweetened coconut milk in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until combined. Let cool completely before using.

You can store this in a container in the fridge for up to two weeks and adding a shot of rum will keep the shelf life a little bit longer. It will harden, so when you want to use it just take it out and let it come to room temperature.

How to make a Pineapple Cup

For fun, you can hollow out a pineapple in which to serve your Piña Colada.

To hollow out the pineapple for your vessel, cut off the top of the pineapple. Then use a pineapple corer to remove the inside by pushing down and turning it. When you reach close to the bottom, pull the corer out.

If you’re unsure about how close you are to the bottom, you can do it in two steps. You just don’t want to puncture the bottom because we can’t have our Piña Coladas leaking. The core will remain in the middle and you can cut it out and discard it.

Tips for Making Piña Coladas

• Try using pineapple rum for an extra dose of pineapple flavor.
• Serving a Piña Colada in a hollowed out pineapple makes the drink look so festive and fun for summer.
• If you think Piña Coladas are too sweet, try adding some lime juice into the drink before blending as that will cut the sweetness with a tart lime flavor.

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