This piña colada is a sweet cocktail recipe made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. There are two versions of the drink, both originating in Puerto Rico.
Piña Colada
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Ingredients
- 1 oz white rum
- 1 oz coconut cream
- 3 oz pineapple juice
- 1 cup crushed ice
- Pineapple slices for garnish
Instructions
- Mix rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice with crushed ice in a blender until smooth
- Pour into a chilled glass, garnish and serve.
Notes
History of the Piña Colada
The earliest known story states that in the 19th century, Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí, to boost his crew’s morale, gave them a beverage or cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple and white rum. This was what would be later known as the famous piña colada. With his death in 1825, the recipe for the piña colada was lost.
In 1950 The New York Times reported that “Drinks in the West Indies range from Martinique’s famous rum punch to Cuba’s pina colada (rum, pineapple and coconut milk).”
The Caribe Hilton Hotel claims Ramón “Monchito” Marrero created the Piña Colada in 1954 while a bartender at the hotel. According to this account, Marrero finally settled upon the recipe for the Piña Colada, which he felt captured the true nature and essence of Puerto Rico. The hotel was presented with a proclamation in 2004 by Puerto Rico Governor Sila M. Calderón celebrating the drink’s 50th anniversary.
Barrachina, a restaurant in Puerto Rico, says that “a traditional Spanish bartender Don Ramon Portas Mingot in 1963 created what became the world’s famous drink: the Piña Colada.”
In 1978 Puerto Rico proclaimed the cocktail its official drink.
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