Piña Colada
Piña colada: Puerto Rico's national drink of rum, pineapple and coconut cream. The creamy frappé hinges on the ice. Learn how to get the balance right.
10 min
Easy
Caribeña / Puertorriqueña
4 servings
The story behind
Coconut cream, pineapple juice and ice spinning in the blender until they turn into a thick white frappé that tastes of the tropics: the piña colada is summer poured into a glass. Puerto Rico named it the national drink in 1978, and three San Juan bartenders are credited with inventing it, Ramón Marrero, Ricardo García and Ramón Portas Mingot, so its exact authorship stays unsettled even as the whole island claims it with pride. The name, "piña colada," means strained pineapple, a nod to the fruit's pressed juice. Its balance is a question of technique. Coconut cream brings fat and sweetness; pineapple juice brings bright acidity; and the white rum, optional, lends a dry backbone that keeps the drink from cloying. Without enough finely crushed ice you never reach the creamy frappé texture that separates it from a plain juice: the ice has to blend in, not float. That's why it spins at high speed until everything becomes one silky mass. Serve it ice-cold, crowned with a wedge of fresh pineapple, its sweet coconut scent reaching you before the first sip.
Instructions
-
1Pour the pineapple juice, coconut cream, and white rum into a blender.
-
2Add the ice and blend at high speed until a smooth, creamy consistency is achieved, similar to the image.
-
3Taste for sweetness and adjust with more coconut cream if necessary.
-
4Pour the mixture into tall clear glass tumblers.
-
5Cut triangular pieces of fresh pineapple and place them on the rim of each glass for decoration.
-
6Add neon-colored straws for that festive and professional touch.
-
7Serve immediately while chilled to enjoy its frothy texture.
Share this recipe
Rate this recipe
Sign in to the app to rate
You might also like
🍊
Save this recipe to your Zest
Add photos when you cook it, write your story, and share it with a Moment Card.
Create my free account