Pina Colada cocktails are one of my favourite drinks and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Rum, coconut, and pineapple are a marriage made in heaven. It has been said that a pina colada is a girls’ drink but I really don’t care, half the world can’t be wrong as they demand pina colada mix, juice, ice cream, even lip gloss. The taste is an absolute winner and I’ll drink my pina colada with pride. So, where to buy them, how to make them and pina colada mix are on my mind today.
Types of Pina Colada Cocktail
Traditionally there are two types, blended or shaken with ice. There are numerous variations and premixed pina colada versions on the market including frozen pina coladas. These seem to be a big favourite of the cruise line industry. I certainly went through my fair share on our recent transatlantic cruise.
In the US you can buy tetra packs to store in a freezer and pour into your glass when they’re icy. I haven’t tried these yet so can’t comment on taste. A fresh pina colada gives the best result but premixed cocktails do a great job. Premixes to buy online are available( see further down the page) and, of course, you can buy a ready-made bottle of pina colada including alcohol.
What Goes into a Pina Colada Cocktail?
Rum, great quality rum ideally. This is the core ingredient in the pina colada cocktail so cheap stuff won’t cut it.
Cream of Coconut was traditionally the next ingredient followed by pineapple juice and a small amount of ice.
Cream of coconut is normally replaced these days by coconut cream but the two aren’t one and the same. Cream of coconut contains coconut juice, sugar, emulsifier, cellulose, thickeners, citric acid, and salt.
Coconut cream is simply the thicker part of coconut milk. Of course, coconut milk and coconut juice or water are not the same either.
Bartenders have now started adding such things as coconut sorbet/gelato, coconut rum, and amaretto.
A pina colada recipe I stick to is 1 1/2 oz light rum, 2 oz cream of coconut, 2 oz of pineapple juice and 1 cup ice. Blend and pour into a collins glass or similar. Garnish with pineapple leaf and cherry. If you want it stronger just make all parts equal.
Pina Colada Mix and Premix
Amazon prime is a beautiful thing, order now and your pina colada mix could be with you in hours. They’ll even deliver the rum too, in parts of the US. Of course. these pina colada mix drinks can be drunk straight from the bottle if you prefer a non-alcoholic virgin pina colada cocktail.
Made with cream of coconut and pineapple juice, just add your rum and crushed ice and blend for an instant pina colada. Have a look at how easily you can make pina coladas at home with this premix and a good blender, ideally.
Origins of the Pina Colada Cocktail
Puerto Rico is the recognised home of the pina colada. It even has a national pina colada day on July the 10th. There is debate about who invented the drink and several people take the credit for inventing it around the 1950’s or 60’s. No one will ever know for sure but one thing that brought it main stream was the song ‘Escape’ in 1979, that’s the name of the famous pina colada song.
Pina Coladas probably pre-date the modern invention of the drink.The literal translation of pina colada is strained pineapple. Pirates may have added it to their rum rations and wealthy travelers in the 1920’s wrote about a similar drink
I’m on a mission to make the pina colada more manly but I’m sure Mrs Chef will keep on teasing me.
What is your favourite cocktail?
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I love pina coladas. My husband and I just build our small bar in our home and want to practice cocktail recipes and pina colada is the first in our list. I love that you clarifies how coconut cream is different from cream of coconut. We didn’t know that. Thank you!