Piña colada recipe

Origins of Piña Colada

Piña Colada, which means 'strained pineapple', is a classic tropical cocktail that is thought to date from 19th Century Puerto Rico. 

An early variation is said to have been created by Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí to boost the morale of his crew, although his recipe was lost after his death. Hotel barman Ramón 'Monchito' Marrero claims to have invented the modern version of Piña Colada in the 50s, after three months of experimentation to get the recipe that he felt captured the essence of Puerto Rico. It became the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978.

The IBA (International Bartenders Association) say a Piña Colada should be one part white rum, one part coconut milk and three parts pineapple juice, but many variations now exist.

Piña Colada ingredients

• 1 cup crushed ice
• 45ml (1½oz) white rum
• 15ml (½oz) coconut cream
• 15ml (½oz) Malibu
• 100ml (3½oz) pineapple juice
• 15ml (½oz) sugar syrup
• Pineapple leaves

Method

Place the crushed ice, rum, coconut cream, Malibu, pineapple juice and sugar syrup in a blender and blend until the mixture is the consistency of shaved ice. 

Pour into a large, chilled cocktail glass and garnish with pineapple leaves and a cocktail umbrella.

Variations

A number of spirits can be used instead of white rum, including vodka (called a Chi Chi) and amaretto (Amaretto Colada). 

Leave the spirits out entirely to create a non-alcoholic Virgin Piña Colada.

The pineapple juice can be replaced with kiwi juice to make a Kiwi Colada.

Mix Piña Colada with strawberry daiquiri to create a Lava Flow.

Visit our cocktail recipe section for more drink ideas