It’s time to celebrate a classic tropical cocktail, the Piña Colada!
The history behind this drink is a bit muddled, with at least three names tied to its supposed origin, but being rather fond of pirates, we’ve choosen to believe this story: In the 19th century, Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí decided to boost his crew’s morale by giving them a beverage that contained coconut, pineapple, and white rum, which came to be what is now the famous Piña Colada. Supposedly the recipe was lost with dread pirate Roberto’s death in 1825, but was then reinvented in either 1954 by Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton or 1963 by Ramon Portas Mingot at the Puerto Rican restaurant, Barrachina. While we let the Don Ramons battle out the claim, the most important fact we have is that the Piña Colada has been the national drink of Puerto Rico since 1978 and is yummy. While fantastically refreshing all on its own, one of Luna’s favorite variations is the Lava Flow which adds Strawberry Daiquiri into the mix for blended deliciousness!
So cheers to the Piña Colada and to the escape.
INGREDIENTS
½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ounces sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López)
2 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
8 ounces white rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ounces dark rum (optional)
Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)
DIRECTIONS
Place pineapple pieces in a resealable plastic bag, laying them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.
Shake cream of coconut and coconut milk in their cans before measuring. Purée pineapple, cream of coconut, coconut milk, white rum, lime juice, and 3 cups ice (about 15 oz.) in a blender until smooth. Transfer blender cup to freezer and freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes.
Blend again until mixture is the perfect slushy frozen drink consistency. Divide among glasses. Top off each with ½ oz. dark rum, if using, and garnish each with a cherry and lime wedge.
Photo by Alex Lau
Recipe by Brad Leone