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The piña colada (; , "pineapple", and , "strained") is a
cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...
made with
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
, 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 A maraschino cherry ( ) is a preserved, sweetened cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold varieties. In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a brine solution usually ...
, or both. The drink originated in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
.


Etymology

The name ''piña colada'' (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
) literally means "strained pineapple", a reference to the freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice used in the drink's preparation.


History


Legendary origins

The earliest known folktale states that in the 19th century, Puerto Rican pirate
Roberto Cofresí Roberto Cofresí y Ramírez de Arellano (June 17, 1791 – March 29, 1825), better known as El Pirata Cofresí, was a Puerto Rican pirate. He was born into a noble family, but the political and economic difficulties faced by the island as a colo ...
, to boost the morale of his crew, gave them a beverage or cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple, and white rum. 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 Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical Location (geography), locations. Travel can be done by Pedestrian, foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without Baggage, luggage, a ...
'' magazine described ''piña colada'' as sugar, lime, and ice mixed in with pineapple juice and Bacardi rum. In 1924,
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
magazine, reporting from
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, mentioned a pineapple juice and crushed ice beverage, known locally as ''piña fría'' (cold pineapple)''.'' In 1950, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported that "Drinks in the West Indies range from Martinique's famous rum punch to Cuba's pina colada (rum, pineapple and coconut milk)."


Creation

In 1954,
University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...
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 ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. This product, sold today as ''Cream of Coconut'', is widely available around the world, and is most commonly used to make the cocktail. 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. The hotel was presented with a proclamation in 2004 by Puerto Rico Governor Sila M. Calderón celebrating the drink's 50th anniversary. 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. 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." In 1978,
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
proclaimed the cocktail to be its official drink.


Preparation

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 A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
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 The International Bartenders Association (IBA) is an international organisation established in order to represent the most skilled bartenders in the world. It was founded on 24 February 1951. An annual event, both World Cocktail Competition ( ...
specifies it as: Ingredients * (5 parts) white rum * (3 parts) coconut cream * (5 parts) 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. In
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
, a different recipe is used: ''Ingredients'' * heavy cream * frozen freshly pressed pineapple juice * cream of coconut *
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
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 The daiquiri (; ) is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice (typically lime juice), and sugar or other sweetener. The daiquiri is one of the six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic ''The Fine Art of Mixing Dri ...
and piña colada layered in one glass. * Scotsman colada – substitute rum for Scotch. * Tepache colada – a piña colada variation using
tepache Tepache is a fermented beverage made from the peel and the rind of pineapples, and is sweetened either with '' piloncillo'' or brown sugar. It is sometimes seasoned with chili powder and served cold. Tepache is usually sold as a chilled drink by ...
developed by JungleBird in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Recipe calls for 1.5 oz gold rum, 2 oz tepache and 1.5 oz coconut cream.


In popular culture

In the United States, National Piña Colada Day is celebrated on 10 July. The cocktail gained worldwide fame after
Rupert Holmes Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein; February 24, 1947) is a British-American composer, singer-songwriter, dramatist and author. He is widely known for the hit singles " Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (1979) and " Him" (1980). He is also know ...
' 1979 song, " Escape (The Piña Colada Song)", became an international hit. 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. The song led to an increased popularity of the drink in Finland.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pina colada Caribbean drinks Cocktails with coconut Cocktails with pineapple juice Cocktails with light rum Creamy cocktails Fruity cocktails Puerto Rican cuisine Sweet cocktails Three-ingredient cocktails