House specialty glass, chilled
Pour into an iced blender canister
1 1/2 oz. Light Rum
3/4 oz. half & half
2 oz. coconut cream syrup
3 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 cup pineapple cubes (optional)
Blend thoroughly
Pineapple wedge garnish

Hurricane glass, house specialty glass

In the day, the cocktail was invariably shaken and served in a tall iced glass. It’s curious that Piña Coladas are rarely prepared in that manner any more. Perhaps the explanation is that when shaken the drink is more viscous than when blended. Its consistency and texture is similar to a cream drink. Hand shaking also loses a few style points because it does little to enhance the drink’s off-white appearance.

On the other hand, blending a Piña Colada has certain advantages. Blending with ice results in a taller drink with a more palatable consistency. Blending also affords the opportunity to work with fresh fruit, something that hand shaking doesn’t easily permit. Lastly there’s guest expectations to consider, meaning that today most people expect Piña Coladas to be blended concoctions and are thrown when they’re not.

Gaining a mastery of the Piña Colada is one merit badge all mixologists should strive to achieve. It is a drink filled with possibilities.
• Premium Spirits — Like the Daiquiri before it, the Piña Colada is traditionally prepared with light rum. One can presume that it is preferred because the rum’s transparency will leave the color of the other ingredients unaffected. On the other hand, the Piña Colada’s creamy, off-white appearance is not necessarily the drink’s strongest attribute. Using a gold or full-bodied, full flavored aged rum may well be an inspired option. In addition to the rich color, the vibrant character of dark rums such as Mount Gay Eclipse, Rhum Barbancourt, Rhum Clément, or Appleton Estate V/X provides intriguing counterpoints and stand up well to the coconut-pineapple palate of the Piña Colada.
   Looking for more Colada options? Certainly start with the largest cache of possibilities, namely flavored rums. Making a Colada with a coconut, or pineapple flavored rum seems like a no-brainer. But banana, mango, citrus and orange flavored rums seem like natural choices as well. So does vanilla, or spiced rum. Then what happens when you make the drink using more than one in a Colada? It’s called magic.
   The most famous variation, the Chi-Chi, is prepared by substituting vodka for light rum in a Piña Colada. The substitution will create a sleek cocktail, but the vodka will contribute nothing to the drink’s personality. On the other hand, using a flavored vodka in the drink could make a huge contribution. Imagine a Chi-Chi made with Stoli Blueberi, Absolut Vanilia, or Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka? In this day and age of superior flavored vodkas, preparing a Chi-Chi with a neutral vodka seems like a missed opportunity.
   If you’re getting the idea that the Piña Colada is a highly versatile player, then it won’t surprise you that the drink is also marvelous made with tequila, cachaça, pisco and shochu.
• Coconut and Pineapple Base Mix — Coconuts are quite the contradiction. How can something so delicious be so incredibly difficult to penetrate? This is one area where science has made life easier for all of us. Coco López Cream of Coconut is just what its name implies. Having originated in Puerto Rico in the early ‘50s, Coco López is a blend of coconut meat and cane sugar to create a smooth and creamy product. It is a luxuriously rich product with authentic coconut flavor.
   Coco López and similar products are viscous and challenging to accurately measure. To accommodate its thick consistency, one tried-and-true technique is to create a scratch Colada mix by blending the Coco Lopez with pineapple juice. Start with an initial ratio of one part coconut cream to 1.5 parts pineapple juice. For example, blend the contents of one, 15-ounce can of the Coco López with 22-23 ounces of pineapple juice. The end result will be a balanced, silky smooth mix where both the pineapple and coconut are equally represented. For added flavor and more consistency, blend the Colada mix with pineapple cubes.
   Another technique is to blend ice cream, half & half, or sorbet into the Piña Colada mix. The result is a thicker, more flavorful concoction. This tactic allows a new avenue of creative thought, for in addition to vanilla ice cream, optional flavors to consider are chocolate, French vanilla, banana, strawberry and coffee. Of course, you could argue that there are at least 31 flavors from which to choose.
• Creative Modifiers — One of the Piña Colada’s more admirable qualities is its versatility. The blended drink’s pineapple and coconut base marries well with scores of flavors. For example, a shot of coffee or chocolate syrup works beautifully in the drink. The Piña Colada also enjoys a special affinity for the sun kissed flavors of fruit, melons, mangos, bananas, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and citrus of all kinds. Liqueurs are ideal modifiers in the drink. Popular examples include Midori, Amaretto, crème de banana and Kahlúa to name a few.
• Garnishing — Why is it that the better a drink looks, the better it tastes? Who knows, but it’s true. A liqueur float is a visually striking way to add flavor and pizzazz to the drink. Lace the top of your Colada with Midori, Kahlúa or HPNOTIQ and watch what happens. A healthy splash of PAMA will add a bold red color and the fresh flavor of pomegranate. ZEN Green Tea Liqueur is also a contender with its jade green color and subtle tea taste. Better yet, serve the liqueur you’re featuring in a sherry or shot glass and let guests have the fun of pouring it into the drink.
   Often a dollop of whipped cream is used as an embellishment. Its stark white appearance, however, almost begs for a drizzle of chocolate syrup or a sprinkle of shaved chocolate. Rimming the glass with shredded coconut is another attention grabber.

The Piña Colada was introduced on August 16, 1954 at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico by its alleged creator, Ramon “Monchito” Marrero. Apparently, the hotel management had expressly requested Monchito to mix a new signature drink that would delight the demanding palates of its starstudded clientele. Monchito accepted the challenge, and after 3 intense months of blending, shaking and experimenting, the first Piña Colada was born. This story is more credible because the Piña Colada contains cream of coconut as one of the primary ingredients, and the cream of coconut "Coco López" (which is the pioneer) was invented in 1954 in the University of Puerto Rico by Ramón López Irizarry. This story is confirmed by José L. Díaz De Villegas in his book "Puerto Rico La Gran Cocina Del Caribe".

This cocktail was made famous thanks to a song that was released in 1979, although it was famous in Puerto Rico because it has been Puerto Rico's official cocktail since 1978, but it wasn't known as much as it is today since Rupert Holmes released his song "Escape" commonly known as "The Piña Colada Song". This cocktail is one of the most famous cocktails around the world.

The allure of the Piña Colada is easy to perceive. At its essence is the convergence of three prominent flavors, rum, coconut and pineapple. If you’ve ever had the drink, you can appreciate the synergy between these three complementary tastes. When working within the Piña Colada framework, don’t lose sight of the three flavors that create the drink’s famed multifaceted appeal.