If you like Piña Coladas, then you’ve come to the right place (you better have sung this line). July 10th is what you’ll find on the internet as the National Piña Colada day, but don’t you think limiting the celebration of such a lovely beverage to a single day is a heinous crime? Shouldn’t we be celebrating the creamy, fruity, and sweet cocktail any day the mood strikes us? Hell, we’d celebrate it everyday if we could, but alas, the world expects us to be functioning and productive adults (hurr durr)! Well, the conformists can suck an egg for now though, because we are about to dive into the pitcher of tropical ambrosia that is a Piña Colada.
The Origin Of Piña Colada
The Piña Colada might be a pleasant drink with a relaxing vibe, but the Caribbean drink has a history ripe with conflict! Well, not so much a conflict as a contest, but a little drama didn’t hurt anyone, did it?
You see, there are three people who claim to have created the drink. Ramón “Monchito” Marrero Perez and Ricardo García, bartenders at the Caribe Hilton, claim to have created the Piña Colada in the year 1952. The Caribe Hilton, however, states that the drink was created in 1954.
Marrero mentions taking three months to come up with the recipe and using the Coco López cream of coconut. Garcia has no elaborate tales about the drink’s creation, he only claims that it was he who created the drink.
While these two grappled for the pride of calling this crowd favorite their creation for almost a decade, a new contender entered the ring! Ramón Portas Mingot, a bartender at Barrachina in Old San Juan popped up in 1963, singing a tune similar to Marrero and Garcia.
Google chooses to crown Señor Monchito as the creator by clearly showing his name as the creator. However, we think that the three men deserve equal praise for the great contributions they made to the cocktail community.
With the sweet cocktail’s somewhat spicy origin out of the way, here are a few nifty bits about the Piña Colada.
Also Read: Bacardi Released A Coconut Cream Liqueur
Facts About Piña Colada
- Piña Colada, when directly translated from Spanish, means “Strained Pineapple”. This refers to the freshly squeezed and strained pineapple juice that is used in the cocktail.
- Believe it or not, the alcoholic beverage is so well liked in the country of its birth, that Puerto Rico declared the Piña Colada as its national drink in 1978!
- The first mention of a cocktail named the Piña Colada can be seen in the December 1922 edition of the Travel magazine. This version of the drink, also known as the “Cuban style” Piña Colada did not include coconuts and was closer to a Pineapple Daiquiri that was served in a tall glass.
- A more raw version of the Piña Colada can trace its origin even further back to the 1800s, where a Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí is believed to have used the drink to boost the morale of his shipmates.
- Although Rupert Holmes’ song Escape made the tropical cocktail blow up and take the center stage in 1979, the singer was not a fan of Piña Coladas. He has even said that the cocktail tasted like diarrhea medicine!
We believe that you’ve learnt enough about the cocktail and are worthy of receiving the ultimate knowledge of how to make a Piña Colada for yourself! So here’s the recipe for you to try.
Also Read: 6 Cocktails That Are Just Too Overrated, According To Us
How To Make Piña Colada
While a trained mixologist can give you a textbook experience with the Piña Colada, trying to make one for yourself would make the drinking experience that much more fun. So get to collecting these ingredients, we’ll make a mixologist out of you yet!
Piña Colada Ingredients
- Light rum (2 ounces)
- Pineapple juice (1½ ounces)
- Cream of coconut ( 1½ ounces)
- Freshly squeezed lime juice (½ ounce)
- Pineapple wedge (for garnishing)
Classic Piña Colada Recipe
- Add the rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and cream of coconut into a cocktail shaker.
- Add some ice to the mixture and shake until well chilled.
- Now, strain the mix into a Hurricane glass over some fresh ice.
- Use a pineapple wedge to garnish your drink and enjoy!
And if you’ve already tasted the classic flavor, but aren’t quite ready to leave the colada, we suggest that you…
Also Read: 6 Piña Colada Recipes To Try At Home
Summing Up
As the summer heat beats the everliving chill out of you and us, a Piña Colada is the perfect cooler for your body and your soul. So if you like Piña Colada, you know which cocktail’s for you!
FAQs
Where Was Piña Colada Invented?
While the Piña Colada has more than one story of how it came to be, all the stories originate from one country, and that country is Puerto Rico.
Is Piña Colada Spanish?
The name Piña Colada is indeed Spanish since that is the language spoken by a significant number of residents of Puerto Rico. The drink however, is of Puerto Rican origin.
Is Piña Colada Very Alcoholic?
The base spirit used in a Piña Colada is light rum, which has an ABV of 40%. As a result, the Piña Colada can be considered to be a moderately alcoholic beverage.
What Is The Difference Between Coco Colada and Piña Colada?
The Coco Colada is a variation of the Piña Colada that is lighter, and uses coconut water and light orange juice instead of cream of coconut and pineapple juice. Due to these tweaks, the resultant drink does not contain as many calories as the traditional Piña Colada.
Why Is It Called A Colada?
The name Piña Colada means “Strained Pineapple” when directly translated from Spanish. So the Colada might be a reference to the freshly squeezed and strained pineapple juice that is used in the cocktail.
What Country Makes The Best Piña Colada?
Although the Piña Colada is a cocktail of Puerto Rican origin, we believe that whichever country has the people who enjoy the drink, is the country that makes it the best!
Does Piña Colada Go Bad?
If you have purchased canned or bottled Piña Coladas, consider the expiration date on the label as the deadline to finish the drink. In case of a Piña Colada made using fresh ingredients, your cocktail can last up to 3 days, if refrigerated properly.
