Piña Colada … It is Piña (from the Spanish Piña colada), a cocktail that has taken root all over the world, like the famous Pina Colada. An unusual, exotic, feminine cocktail, probably one of the most feminine – in this field, only the sophisticated Cosmopolitan can compare with it.
The composition of Colada includes rum, coconut milk and pineapple juice, which is the key in this drink, as “Colada” is strained fresh pineapple juice.
Unstrained pineapple juice is called “sin colar” in the Caribbean.
Let’s delve into history. Pina Colada is currently the official drink of Puerto Rico, a small island nation in the Caribbean. According to the official version, the authorship of this cocktail belongs to Ramon “Monchito” Marrero, the bartender of the Beachcamera Bar, adjacent to the Caribbean Hilton hotel in San Juan (the capital of the aforementioned Puerto Rico). Pina Colada was first seen by the world on August 16, 1954. It contained a secret ingredient – Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut, a new product invented by Professor Ramon Lopez Irizzari, who, thanks to his discovery, became a successful businessman.
The story is thoroughly saturated with commerce, so not everyone trusts it. According to another version, the cocktail was invented by bartender Ramon Portas Mingota, who works at La Baracchina in 1964. His Pina Colada contained pineapple juice, condensed milk and coconut cream. There are a few more unverified versions, but they are not of interest to us. The cocktail entered the IBA bar list in 1961, which, in principle, confirms the first version. The real popularity of Pina Colada came in the late 70s, when performer Rupert Holmes performed the song The Piña Colada Song, which became a real hit of those years in the United States.
Pina Colada cocktail recipe
Pina Colada is a classic long drink, mostly prepared in a blender, that is, a way to make a blend cocktail. The composition includes coconut milk, or rather coconut cream, ideally Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut, but it is very difficult to get them in the CIS. Vondrich, an expert for Esquire magazine, argues that any high-fat coconut product with chemicals will work for a real colada.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml white rum;
- 90 ml of pineapple juice;
- 30 ml coconut milk (cream).
Preparation:
Pour all ingredients into a blender, add ice and blend well. Pour the drink into a hurricane glass (hurricane glass) and garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.
The classic recipe is simple, but … Today, few people adhere to the classic recipe, which is understandable. Coconut milk / cream is not available everywhere, and they are quite expensive in our latitudes. There are plenty of coconuts in the Caribbean, but in Russian villages it somehow didn’t start with the cultivation of these fruits, so only cow’s milk can become a worthy alternative. Which, however, is quite acceptable. Many bars can offer such variations of Pina Colada:
- rum – pineapple juice – coconut syrup;
- rum – pineapple juice – coconut liqueur (Malibu);
- rum – pineapple juice – cream – coconut liqueur;
- rum – pineapple juice – cow’s milk – coconut liqueur (syrup);
- rum – pineapple juice – ice cream – coconut liqueur (syrup).
And so on … Also, a Pina Colada cocktail at home can be prepared in a shaker, just don’t feel sorry for the ice. Of course, ice cream shake is better to prepare in a blender, although this option seems crazy to me. Most establishments use Malibu liqueur, but this is not entirely true – at least not a single authoritative source mentions this liqueur (it can be prepared at home, by the way). However, it’s still fun to experiment!
Other variations on the Pina Colada theme:
- Virgin Pina Colada – without rum, that is, non-alcoholic;
- Amarettokolada – light rum, Amaretto liqueur, coconut liqueur, pineapple juice;
- Chi Chi – instead of rum, vodka is poured;
- lava flow or Miami Vice – a tandem of Pina Kolada and Strawberry Daiquiri.
To learn the whole mystery of making Pina Colada, watch the video: