Piña colada facts for kids
| Cocktail | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cocktail |
| Primary alcohol by volume | |
| Served | Blended with ice (frozen style) |
| Standard garnish | Pineapple slice and/or maraschino cherry |
| Standard drinkware |
 |
| Commonly used ingredients |
|
| Preparation | Blend all the ingredients with ice in an electric blender, pour into a large goblet or Hurricane glass and serve. |
The Piña Colada is a super popular and yummy cocktail! It's made with rum (a type of alcohol), creamy coconut cream, and sweet pineapple juice. It's usually blended with ice, making it a cool, refreshing drink. You'll often see it decorated with a slice of Pineapple or a bright red maraschino cherry. This famous drink comes from Puerto Rico.
There are two main stories about how this delicious drink started, both from Puerto Rico.
Contents
What Does "Piña Colada" Mean?
The name Piña Colada comes from the Spanish words "piña" (meaning "pineapple") and "colada" (meaning "strained"). So, the name literally means "strained pineapple." This refers to the fresh, strained pineapple juice used to make the drink.
The Story of the Piña Colada
People have told many stories about how the Piña Colada began. One old story says that in the 1800s, a Puerto Rican pirate named Roberto Cofresí gave his crew a special drink. This drink had coconut, pineapple, and white rum. He did this to keep his crew happy and in good spirits! When he died in 1825, the recipe for this drink was supposedly lost. However, some historians don't agree with this story.
In 1950, The New York Times newspaper mentioned a drink from Cuba called "pina colada," saying it had rum, pineapple, and coconut milk.
A famous hotel called the Caribe Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico says that their bartender, Ramón "Monchito" Marrero, created the Piña Colada in 1954. He worked hard to find the perfect mix of ingredients. He felt his recipe truly showed the spirit of Puerto Rico. In 2004, Puerto Rico's Governor, Sila María Calderón, even celebrated the drink's 50th anniversary at the hotel!
Another restaurant in Puerto Rico, Barrachina, claims that a bartender named Don Ramon Portas Mingot created the drink in 1963.
No matter who invented it, the Piña Colada became so popular that in 1978, Puerto Rico officially named it their national drink!
How to Make a Piña Colada
The original recipe by Monchito, the bartender from Caribe Hilton, was quite specific. He would blend about 85 grams of coconut cream, 170 grams of pineapple juice, and 43 grams of white rum with crushed ice. He would blend it until it was smooth, then pour it into a cold glass and add a pineapple slice or a cherry.
Today, there are many ways to make a Piña Colada. The International Bartenders Association suggests this simple recipe:
- Ingredients
- 5 parts white rum
- 3 parts coconut cream
- 5 parts pineapple juice
- Method
Mix all the ingredients with crushed ice in a blender until it's smooth. Then, pour it into a chilled glass. You can add a pineapple wedge or a maraschino cherry for decoration before serving. Sometimes, people just mix the ingredients with ice cubes in a glass without blending.
Different Kinds of Piña Coladas
People love to get creative with the Piña Colada! You can change the amounts of each ingredient or even use different types of rum. Some people like their Piña Coladas frozen, like a slushie.
Here are a few fun variations:
- Virgin Piña Colada or Piñita Colada – This is the same delicious drink but without the rum, so it's non-alcoholic and perfect for everyone!
- Lava Flow or Miami Vice – This drink looks amazing! It's a mix of a strawberry daiquiri and a Piña Colada, layered in one glass.
- Chi Chi – Instead of rum, this version uses vodka.
- Staten Island Ferry – This is a simpler version made with Malibu (a coconut-flavored rum) and pineapple juice over ice. It tastes similar to a Piña Colada but doesn't need coconut cream or a blender.
- Blue Hawaiian – This drink is like a Piña Colada but with blue Curaçao, which gives it a beautiful blue color.
Piña Colada in Pop Culture
The Piña Colada is so famous that it's even celebrated! In the United States, National Piña Colada Day is on July 10th.
This drink has also appeared in many songs:
- The band 10cc mentions it in their song "Dreadlock Holiday."
- Steely Dan sings about it in their 1975 song "Bad Sneakers."
- The cocktail became super famous worldwide after Rupert Holmes released his 1979 song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)". This song was a huge hit!
- Jazz musician Chuck Mangione also released a song called "Piña Colada" on his 1979 album Fun and Games.
- The drink is part of the title of the Garth Brooks song "Two Piña Coladas".
See also
In Spanish: Piña colada para niños
