Pina Colada

A sweet cocktail made with rum, coconut cream or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice.

History

The name piña colada literally means “strained pineapple”, a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used in the drink’s preparation.

Ramón Portas Mingot is credited with creating the drink.
Two bartenders from Puerto Rico won a contest for the ownership of their national drink. Ramón “Monchito” Marrero Pérez claims to have first made it at the Caribe Hilton Hotel’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan in 1954, using Don Q Gold rum and the then newly-available coco lópez cream of coconut. Coco lópez was developed in Puerto Rico in 1948 by Don Ramón López-Irizarry, hence the Puerto Rican connection and the 1952 account of the drink’s creation. Some say the drink did not acquire its name until the 1960s.

The Caribe Hilton Hotel sits on a 17-acre peninsula outside San Juan and was the first luxury hotel to open in the region, becoming a popular destination for the rich and famous who helped spread word of the drink.

Ramón Portas Mingot also says he created it in 1963 at the Barrachina Restaurant, 104 Fortaleza Street, Old San Juan. The restaurant stands by his claim to this day.

National Piña Colada Day is celebrated on the islands on 10 July.

How to make one yourself

Equipment:
• Sling glass
• Cocktail shaker
• Blender

Ingredients:
• 6-7 chunks of pineapple
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon coconut cream
• 50ml Bacardi Carta Blanco
• 50ml fresh pineapple juice
• Ice
• To garnish: A pineapple triangle

How to mix:
• Place all your ingredients into the blender (apart from the garnish!) and blend until a smooth consistency
• Pour into a chilled (or even better, frozen) glass, then add your garnish and serve