Easy Pina Colada! Learn how to make piña coladas using traditional piña colada ingredients like rum, coconut and pineapple, a summer staple. Grab your favorite tiki glass for this delicious mixed drink!
If you’re looking for a refreshing, sensual cocktail to make your next summer party stand out, this piña colada is it.
You might associate a piña colada with relaxing poolside vacations, but the rum, coconut, and pineapple piña colada ingredients are actually a pillar of the tiki drink canon.
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Pina Colada
Ingredients for making pina coladas
Part of the charm of piña coladas is how easy they are to make:
- RUM: Rum is the base alcohol. Choose a white rum for this cocktail rather than the more flavored aged rums. Mount Gay is a smooth and affordable option.
- COCONUT: Use coconut cream for the coconut component. Avoid coconut milk or coconut cream; “Coconut Cream” is a different product. You can often find it near the liquor department with the other blenders. My favorite brand is Coco Lopez.
- PINEAPPLE: Pineapple enters the mixture through Pineapple juice and pineapple pieces. The chunks help make this mixed drink thicker and more frothy. If you cut your pineapple yourself, freeze the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet before using.
- THE FLOAT (optional): Last but not least I like to add a splash of golden or añejo rum on top of each glass just before serving. This rum floats on top of the drink and adds a more complex flavor to the drink.
The History of the Pina Colada
Quite a few bartenders and bars have claimed to have created the now-famous piña colada over the years, but the drink’s true origins are a bit murky. There’s even evidence that 19th-century traders mixed rum with coconut water and pineapple puree to create a sort of proto-piña!
Pina Coladas: Blended or Shaked?
Incidentally, there’s a misconception that a mixed piña colada is actually a newer, modernized version of the cocktail. In fact, the mixed cocktail is the original and the shaken piña colada is the contemporary incarnation.
If you want to make a shaken piña colada for yourself, try shaking 1 1/2 ounces golden or añejo rum with 1 ounce coconut cream and 1 ounce pineapple juice and pour over ice. A squeeze of lime zest over the cocktail is a perfect finishing touch.
Whether mixed or shaken, a piña colada really can’t be beat for its tropical flavor and efficiency in getting rum in your mouth.
More summer cocktails!
- Watermelon Pitcher Margaritas
- Long Island Iced Tea
- Mojito with mint and lime
- Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
- Dark and stormy
Pina Colada
The traditional mixed pina colada recipe doesn’t use frozen pineapple, but I find that it adds a bit more flavor and reduces the amount of ice cream needed.
As with most tiki-style drinks, multiple rums are used to achieve balance and flavor.
ingredients
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6 ounces White rum
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6 ounces coconut cream (preferably brand Coco Lopez)
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6 ounces pineapple juice
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1/2 Cup frozen pineapple pieces (see How to cut a pineapple)
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4 cups Ice
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4 ounces golden or añejo rum
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pineapple leaves or wedges for garnish, optional
method
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Mixture:
Place the white rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice and chunks and ice in a blender. Process until fully blended.
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Pour:
Pour into glasses and top up with the golden rum (it should float to the top).
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Surcharge:
Garnish with pineapple leaves or slices if desired.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 232 | calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 21g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
