Pina Colada - The most iconic and refreshing drink in Puerto Rico!
Imagine yourself at the iconic hotel Caribe Hilton San Juan in 1954. If you happened to visit back then, you might have been among the first to taste the legendary Pina Colada. In its initial form, the drink was served without alcohol and was meant to be a simple refreshment. Later, and only with the invention of all-purpose blenders, the rum was added to the drink and joined the party.
Coconut and pineapple are a commodity on the island of Puerto Rico. In 1950, Coco Lopez’s cream of coconut was newly introduced to supermarkets. Rum has been part of Puerto Rico’s history since the early 16th century. The perfect combination of ingredients for the famous Pina Colada, all ingredients available at your fingertips. It simply made sense that the birthplace of the famous and fantastic cocktail was Puerto Rico during that era.
Most bartenders prefer to add cream to their Pina Colada and use a blender mixing all the ingredients. I prefer the light, refreshing, and juicy version of the Pina Colada. I want to taste the rum and the fresh pineapple with a hint of coconut. Therefore, I favor only using fresh homemade pineapple juice and no cream. Without cream, a blender is not needed and instead, we can use a classic shaker to create this magical, classic cocktail.
Let’s explore the process of crafting this drink, beginning with creating our own homemade pineapple juice.
Homemade Pineapple Juice
Fresh, ripe pineapple
Filtered water
To make the homemade pineapple juice, peel, core, and blend a fresh, ripe pineapple in a blender. Add filtered water as needed, and strain the pineapple mix through a fine mesh strainer to extract the juice. 1/2 a pineapple yields approximately 2 cups of juice.
Ingredients Pina Colada
1 + 1/2 oz white rum
3 oz homemade pineapple juice
3/4 oz cream of coconut
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Garnish
Pineapple wedge
Pineapple leaf
Glass
Highball glass
In a shaker, combine the homemade pineapple juice, white rum, cream of coconut, fresh lime juice and ice cubes. Shake very well until all ingredients are combined. Strain the Pina Colada over crushed ice in the highball glass. Garnish the Pina Colada with a fresh pineapple triangle wedge and leaf.
Keep it simple! Enjoy your very refreshing Pina Colada!
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