Perfecting Your Own Piña Colada

As we shift from spring into summer, thoughts of warm weather, vacations and relaxation start dominating conversations. Ordinarily, that would mean hoping on a plane and heading to a desired port of call. With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, travel and accommodations are either completely on-hold or come with a plethora of caveats. So, if we can’t get to the beach, the next best thing is to bring the beach (virtually) to us! And there’s no better way to conjure the perfect beach atmosphere at home than by perfecting your own Piña Colada.

The piña colada (Spanish for “strained pineapple”) was born in Puerto Rico and is traditionally made with rum, coconut milk and pineapple juice. The exact origins of this iconic cocktail are interesting and somewhat contentious. Some claim it was first introduced in the 19th century by a Puerto Rican pirate named Roberto Cofresi who mixed the concoction to “boost” the moral of his troops. More than likely it was the brainchild of Ramon “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton hotel in San Juan. Mr. Marrero was asked to capture the flavors of Puerto Rico and after three days came back with this masterful mix. 

• Start with a full shaker of ice
• Add 1 full jigger (2fl oz) of white rum (Bacardi is a staple, but we’ve recently ventured over to George Ocean and Koloa – a delicious Hawaiian rum – as excellent mixers as well) to our shaker of ice
• Next, add 3/4 to full jigger of coconut milk – our preference for this ingredient is Malibu, a perfect blend of rum and coconut that’s not overpowering and blends perfectly with any of our rum favorites above
• Now add 1/2 to 2/3 jigger of Pineapple Run – our go-to brand is Tortuga out of the Cayman Islands.
• Top off the shaker with fresh pineapple juice – the Dole 6oz cans are the perfect size for making one or two piña colada’s
• Add the top of your shaker and “shake, shake, shake!”
• Pour contents into your favorite glass and garnish with a slice of pineapple
• Enjoy!