piña colada

{{Short description|Puerto Rican cocktail with rum, coconut, and pineapple}}

{{Infobox cocktail

| iba = yes

| sourcelink = pina-colada

| name = Piña colada

| image = Piña Colada.jpg

| caption =

| type = cocktail

| flaming =

| rum = yes

| served = blended

| garnish = with a cocktail cherry

| ingredients =

50 ml white rum
30 ml coconut cream
50 ml fresh pineapple juice

| prep = Blend all the ingredients with ice in an electric blender, pour into a large glass, and serve with straws.

| notes = Historically a few drops of fresh lime juice or bitters were added to taste. 4 slices of fresh pineapple can be used instead of juice

| drinkware = poco

| footnotes =

}}

The piña colada ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|p|iː|n|j|ə|_|k|oʊ|ˈ|l|ɑː|d|ə|,_|-|n|ə|-|,_|-|k|ə|-}};{{refn|{{MerriamWebsterDictionary|access-date=2016-01-21|piña colada}}}}{{refn|{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/pi%C3%B1a_colada |title=piña colada |dictionary=Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} }} {{langx|es|piña}} {{IPA|es|ˈpiɲa|}}, "pineapple", and {{lang|es|colada}} {{IPA|es|koˈlaða|}}, "strained") is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. The drink originated in Puerto Rico.

Etymology

The name piña colada (Spanish) literally means "strained pineapple",{{cite web |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pina-colada |title=Pina colada definition and meaning |publisher=Collins English Dictionary |access-date=June 4, 2020}} a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used in the drink's preparation.

History

File:Piña Colada plate in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.jpg

=Legendary origins=

The earliest known folktale states that in the 19th century, Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí, to boost the morale of his crew, gave them a beverage or cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple, and white rum.{{cite news |url=http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=110184 |title=Con diez cañones por banda... y una piña colada en la mano |work=El Nuevo Diario |date=9 July 2008 |language=es |access-date=11 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510064939/http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=110184 |archive-date=10 May 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}} This was what would be later known as piña colada. With his death in 1825, the recipe for the beverage was lost.

=First mentions=

In 1922, Travel magazine described piña colada as sugar, lime, and ice mixed in with pineapple juice and Bacardi rum.{{Cite web |title= The Piña Colada |url= https://www.gotrum.com/editorials/cocktail-scientist/the-pi%C3%B1a-colada/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=gotrum.com}}

In 1924, National Geographic magazine, reporting from Puerto Rico, mentioned a pineapple juice and crushed ice beverage, known locally as piña fría (cold pineapple).

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)."{{cite news |title=AT THE BAR |date=16 April 1950 |work=The New York Times}}

=Creation=

In 1954, University of Puerto Rico Professor Ramon López Irizarry invented a new, improved method for the extraction of coconut cream. He patented the process and created Coco López, a sweet, creamy coconut cream, which was used in the invention of the piña colada in Puerto Rico. This product, sold today as Cream of Coconut, is widely available around the world, and is most commonly used to make the cocktail.{{Cite web |title=Coco Lopéz: About Us |url=https://cocolopez.com/about-us |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Cocolopez.com}} According to the NY Times, Pina Colada already existed in Cuba in 1950, 4 years before the invention of Coco Lopez.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.caribehilton.com/location-directions/ |title=Puerto Rico Hotels on the Beach |access-date=2013-09-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819135153/http://www.caribehilton.com/location-directions/ |archive-date=2012-08-19}} The hotel was presented with a proclamation in 2004 by Puerto Rico Governor Sila M. Calderón celebrating the drink's 50th anniversary.{{cite web |url=http://www.caribehilton.com/about/history/ |title=History of Caribe Hilton |access-date=8 November 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pina-colada-caribe-hilton-puerto-rico/index.html |title=Celebrating the piña colada's birthplace |first=Lilit |last=Marcus |date=2 May 2019 |website=CNN Travel}}

A Spaniard by the name of Ricardo García also claims to have invented the drink in 1953, while working at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan.{{cite news | title=The Backpage | newspaper=The Independent | url=https://newspapers.com/image/721307416/

| date=December 28, 2003 | access-date=November 15, 2023|page=24}}{{cite web | title=Piña Colada history | website=Difford's Guide | date=July 8, 2014 | url=https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1132/colada-cocktails/history | access-date=November 15, 2023}}

Barrachina, a restaurant in Puerto Rico, says that "a traditional Spanish bartender Don Ramón Portas Mingot in 1963 created what became the world's famous drink: the Piña Colada."{{cite web |url=http://www.barrachina.com/about.html |title=Best Restaurant in Old San Juan Puerto Rico |website=Barrachina |access-date=8 November 2018 |archive-date=16 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216194314/http://www.barrachina.com/about.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues2/2005/vol09n12/CaribTalePina.html |title=A Caribbean Tale Of Two Piña Coladas |website=Puerto Rico Herald}}

In 1978, Puerto Rico proclaimed the cocktail to be its official drink.{{cite news |url=http://www.elnuevodia.com/nuestrapinacoladacumple60anos-1831147.html |title=Nuestra piña colada cumple 60 años |last=Pérez Rivera |first=Tatiana |language=es |work=El Nuevo Día |url-access=subscription |date=10 August 2014 |access-date=13 July 2014 |archive-date=3 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103060750/http://www.elnuevodia.com/nuestrapinacoladacumple60anos-1831147.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-pina-colada |last=Klein |first=Christopher |date=June 16, 2015 |title=The Birth of the Piña Colada |work=History |access-date=July 14, 2019}}

Preparation

File:Piña colada.jpg

As recounted by his friends in José L. Díaz de Villegas's book, the original Monchito recipe was to pour 85 grams of cream of coconut, 170 grams of pineapple juice and 43 grams of white rum into a blender or shaker with crushed ice, blend or shake very well until smooth, then pour into chilled glass and garnish with pineapple wedge and/or a maraschino cherry.

There are many recipes for piña colada. The International Bartenders Association specifies it as:

Ingredients

(5 parts) {{convert|5|cl|usoz|abbr=on}} white rum
(3 parts) {{convert|3|cl|usoz|abbr=on}} coconut cream
(5 parts) {{convert|5|cl|usoz|abbr=on}} pineapple juice

Method

Mix with crushed ice in blender until smooth, then pour into a chilled glass, garnish and serve. Alternately, the three main components can simply be added to a cocktail glass with ice cubes.{{cite web |url=https://iba-world.com/cocktails/pina-colada/ |title=Pina Colada |work=IBA |access-date=July 14, 2019}}

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, a different recipe is used:

Ingredients

{{convert|1|usoz|cl|abbr=on}} heavy cream
{{convert|6|usoz|cl|abbr=on}} frozen freshly pressed pineapple juice
{{convert|1|usoz|cl|abbr=on}} cream of coconut
{{convert|2|usoz|cl|abbr=on}} rum

Method

Freeze pineapple juice before use. In a blender, combine cream of coconut, frozen pineapple juice, heavy cream and rum. Pour in a desired 12-ounce container and use a cherry and fresh pineapple for a garnish.

= Variations =

Different proportions of the core ingredients, as well as different types of rum, may all be used in the piña colada. Frozen piña coladas are also served. Other named variations include

Lava Flow or Miami Vice – strawberry daiquiri and piña colada layered in one glass.{{cite web |url=http://gohawaii.about.com/od/drinks/r/lava_flow.htm |title=Lava Flow |access-date=20 June 2007 |archive-date=20 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620162759/http://gohawaii.about.com/od/drinks/r/lava_flow.htm |url-status=dead }}
Scotsman colada – substitute rum for Scotch.{{cite web |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/g3242/whiskey-cocktails/ |last=Hubbard |first=Lauren |date=July 17, 2019 |title=The Best Whiskey Cocktails to Shake Up Your Bar Cart – Scotsman Colada |work=Town & Country |access-date=July 22, 2019}}
Tepache colada – a piña colada variation using tepache developed by JungleBird in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Recipe calls for 1.5 oz gold rum, 2 oz tepache and 1.5 oz coconut cream.{{Cite web|date=2019-07-10|title=Celebrate Piña Colada Day with the Tepache Colada at Jungle Bird|url=https://thirstymag.com/tepache-colada-jungle-bird/|access-date=2022-01-22|website=thirsty|language=en-US|archive-date=22 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122065318/https://thirstymag.com/tepache-colada-jungle-bird/|url-status=dead}}

In popular culture

In the United States, National Piña Colada Day is celebrated on 10 July.{{cite web |url=https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-pina-colada-day-july-10/ |title=NATIONAL PINA COLADA DAY – July 10 – National Day Calendar |website=nationaldaycalendar.com |access-date=June 4, 2020 }}

The cocktail gained worldwide fame after Rupert Holmes' 1979 song, "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)", became an international hit.{{cite book |author=Emma Stokes |title=The Periodic Table of Cocktails |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-9EDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT138 |date=18 April 2017 |publisher=ABRAMS |isbn=978-1-68335-045-3 |page=138}}{{cite book |author=Fred Bronson |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PP528 |year=2003 |publisher=Billboard Books |isbn=978-0-8230-7677-2 |page=528}}

Piña coladas are referred to in the 2023 Eurovision entry "Cha Cha Cha" by Finnish rapper Käärijä, in which he describes drinking piña coladas after an exhausting week, before letting himself go on the dancefloor.{{Cite web |last=Savage |first=Mark |date=10 May 2023 |title=Käärijä is Finland's Cha Cha Charmer. Eurovision Q&A |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65473482 |website=BBC}}{{Cite news |last=Palmer |first=Katie |date=9 May 2023 |title=Finland Eurovision 2023 song lyrics: Kaarija's Cha Cha Cha is branded 'crazy' |work=Express |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1765690/Finland-Eurovision-2023-song-lyrics-Kaarija-Cha-Cha-Cha |access-date=13 May 2023}} The song led to an increased popularity of the drink in Finland.{{Cite web |last=Dayana |date=6 March 2023 |title=Finland's Käärijä boosts interest in the Piña Colada with "Cha Cha Cha" |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2023/03/06/finlands-kaarija-boosts-interest-in-the-pina-colada-with-cha-cha-cha/276177/ |website=Wiwibloggs}}