Pina Colada

When it comes to cocktails that truly capture the tropical sun and the essence of leisurely beach vacations, the one drink that undoubtedly comes to mind is the vivacious Piña Colada. Made with a blend of rum, coconut milk and pineapple juice, the Piña Colada is a drink served chilled, garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both. It is a sweet, creamy, frozen drink bursting with fruity flavour from the pineapple and the coconut, and a gentle warmth from the rum.

Though the origins of the actual drink are unconfirmed and is a huge point of controversy, the part that remains constant in all the stories about the creation of the drink is its birthplace of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The first claim on the origination of the drink belongs to the Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Confresi, during the 1800s. As believed by many, he prepared the original Piña Colada to pacify a possible mutiny brewing on one of his boats. With scarce ingredients like rum, coconut and pineapple juice found onboard, he created the first Piña Colada.

A quick jump in time to 1954, Ramon ‘Monchito’ Marrero concocted the drink while working as a bartender at the Caribe Hilton Hotel. When he first created his Piña Colada, he made it with coconut cream, vanilla ice cream and pineapple juice all put into a shaker with ice. First being sold as a milkshake, due to the large number of adults at the hotel, coconut rum was soon added to it, rebranding it as a crowd favourite drink.

Legend has that there was another Ramon by the name of Don Ramon Portas who laid his equal share of claim for the drink. Portas worked at a hotel close to the Caribe Hilton, called the Barrachina Hotel. According to co-workers, he created the drink in 1963, in a cocktail contest that called for a drink to represent Puerto Rico.

When in Puerto Rico, whether you are lounging at the beach or lost in a leisurely stroll, or whether you are enjoying the sights and sounds of a lively nightlife, it is always a good time to sip and relish the island’s signature drink and immerse yourself in this delectable glass of cultural identity. No wonder, the Pina Colada has been dubbed as the national drink of the country.