Celebrate National Piña Colada Day With These Must-Try Drinks & Recipes

By  Alma Sacasa

drinks-2

July 10 is National Piña Colada Day, which is a day before National Mojito Day, giving you two reasons to celebrate this summer, as well as multiple ways to use your go-to rum or another spirit. We have got you covered with multiple recipes to be the star bartender in your home or at any party. There are also options for those who just want to sip and enjoy without the mixing.

The famous tropical drink was invented in Puerto Rico, and if you can’t make it to La Isla del Encanto, with every sip, it will feel like you’re there without leaving your home unless you want to book a flight and go where it originated. According to Discover Puerto Rico, the Caribe Hilton insisted that the recipe was crafted by Ramón “Monchito” Marrero, a bartender who worked at the hotel’s Beachcomber Bar and was commissioned to create a signature cocktail in 1954. Marrero reportedly spent three months crafting the drink, and according to sources, Hollywood legend Joan Crawford declared it was better than slapping Bette Davis in the face. It’s said that Ricardo García, another bartender at the Caribe Hilton, came up with the recipe that same year due to a coconut shortage.

Another theory is that Ramón Portas Mignot, a bartender at Barrachina in Old San Juan, was the third to claim to have crafted the delicious cocktail in 1963. There’s even a plaque at the establishment’s entrance commemorating the birthplace of this popular drink. Also, islanders say that the piña colada dates back to the 1800s and credit the fruity cocktail to Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí, who served his crew this beverage to boost morale.

@chefgusfdz

Para el calors… una piña colada. 🍍🍹 👌#tiktokfood #tiktokchef #mexico #recetas

♬ Just a Cloud Away – Pharrell Williams

While we may never know who created the recipe or where on the island it was made, the Piña Colada will always be a go-to for many who are 21 and older to enjoy a refreshing and yummy cocktail.


The Original Piña Colada

There’s nothing like the OG, and if you’ve been to Caribe Hilton and had a Piña Colada and want to make it at home, you can with the recipe below.

The Original Piña Colada

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 oz. rum
  • 1 oz. coconut cream
  • 1 oz. heavy cream
  • 6 oz. pineapple juice 
  • ½ cup crushed ice
  • Directions:
  • Mix rum, cream of coconut, heavy cream and pineapple juice in a blender.
  • Add ice and mix for 15 seconds.
  • Serve in a 12-oz. glass and garnish with fresh pineapple and a cherry 

Skinny Piña Colada

You want to enjoy a cocktail without worrying about your figure, Don Q has a Skinny Piña Colada recipe to take all your worries away.

Skinny Piña Colada

  • Ingredients: 
  • 1½ oz Don Q Cristal Rum
  • 2 oz Coconut water
  • 1 tsp Fine sugar
  • 2 Pineapple chunks
  • Instructions:
  • Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
  • Shake vigorously and double strain into a cocktail glass.
  • We recommend water from a coconut that’s been freshly cracked open.
  • If you use a bottled brand, we recommend Harmless Harvest.
  • Glass:
  • Cocktail

Chinocolada

You want some flavor in your piña colada? Look no further than the Chinocolada, another Don Q recipe that lets you enjoy the popular drink with a passion-fruit flavor.

Chinocolada

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 oz Rum
  • 2 oz Coconut Cream 
  • .75 oz Pineapple Juice 
  • .5 oz Simple Syrup 
  • 1.5 cups Ice
  • 1 oz Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur Float 
  • Garnish:  
  • Cocktail umbrella
  • Preparation: 
  • Add all ingredients except Chinola to a blender and blend till smooth.
  • Pour into tall glass and top with Chinola float.
  • Garnish with a cocktail umbrella. 
  • Glass:
  • Hurricane

Classic Piña Colada

You could never go wrong with a classic cocktail, and if you like Malibu, this recipe is for you.

Classic Piña Colada

  • Ingredients:
  • 1 part Malibu Original
  • 1 part Pineapple Juice
  • 0.5 parts Cream of Coconut
  • 0.25 parts Lime Juice (optional)
  • Garnish: Pineapple Slice, Ice
  • Method:
  • Fill a shaker with ice cubes
  • Pour in Malibu Original, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and lime juice (optional)
  • Shake for 8-12 seconds and strain into a hurricane 

Malibu Pink Colada

If you are a Malibu lover but want to try something different, you can’t go wrong with their latest Malibu Pink, which also has its own version of the Piña Colada.

Malibu Pink Colada

  • Ingredients:
  • 1 part Malibu Pink
  • 1 part Pineapple Juice
  • 0.5 parts Cream of Coconut
  • 0.25 parts Lime Juice
  • Garnish Pineapple Wedge, Ice cubes
  • Method:
  • Fill a shaker with ice cubes
  • Pour in Malibu Original, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and lime juice (optional)
  • Shake for 8-12 seconds and strain into a hurricane glass with ice
  • Garnish with a pineapple slice and enjoy!

Malibu Piña Colada Ready-To-Drink Cans 

You don’t want to mix anything; that’s okay. Malibu Piña Colada Ready-To-Drink Cans make it easier and quicker to sip all summer long.


Palm Republic Pina Brava

The Palm Republic Pina Brava offers a lighter take on a piña colada, balancing fresh pineapple and coconut for an easy sip.

Palm Republic Pina Brava

  • Ingredients: 
  • 1.5 oz Palm Republic Silver Rum or Aged Rum
  • 1.5 oz fresh pineapple juice
  • 1.5 oz harmless harvest coconut smoothie
  • (or unsweetened organic coconut cream)
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • Glassware:
  • Collins glass
  • Garnish:
  • Pineapple wedge 
  • Method:
  • Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Fill the shaker tin with ice.
  • Shake hard for 15-20 seconds.
  • Strain into Collins glass (or your favorite tiki mug).
  • Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

BACARDÍ Rum’s Piña Colada

Whether enjoyed poolside, beachside, or in a hollowed-out pineapple for National Piña Colada Day celebrations or all summer. BACARDÍ Rum has the recipe to feel like you are on a Caribbean vacation.

BACARDÍ Rum’s Piña Colada

  • Ingredients: 
  • 2 oz BACARDÍ Superior 
  • 1.5 oz Coconut Water 
  • 1 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice 
  • 3-4 Chinks of Pineapple 
  • 2 Tsp Caster Sugar 
  • Pineapple Wedge 
  • Crushed Ice 
  • Hurricane/Highball Glass 
  • Recipe:  
  • Add fresh pineapple and superfine sugar to a cocktail shaker. Gently crush the pineapple with a muddler or the back or a spoon to release its sweet, tropical juice. 
  • Pour in BACARDÍ Superior rum, pineapple juice, and coconut water into the shaker.  
  • Add ice to the shaker, seal it tightly, and shake-shake-shake for 15-20 seconds until well-chilled. You are now creating that signature Piña Colada texture.  
  • Strain the mixture over crushed ice in a hurricane glass or a tall highball glass. Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge. 

Minute Maid Spiked Piña Colada

Another ready-to-serve option, Minute Maid Spiked Piña Colada, is an easy way to enjoy your drink.


Horchata Colada

Yes, we know the piña colada is usually made with rum, but why not have fun and give the classic cocktail a twist with Hornitos’ Horchata Colada.

Horchata Colada

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 Parts Hornitos Cristalino Reserve Tequila
  • .5 Parts Lime Juice
  • 1 Parts Pineapple Juice
  • 3 Parts Horchata Mix
  • Garnish: 
  • Pineapple Wedge or Fronds, Star Anise, Grated Cinnamin
  • Directions:
  • Pour pulverized green rock sugar, granulated white sugar, and a cinnamon & pulverized red sugar blend onto separate areas of a plate.
  • Coat half of the cocktail glass rim with lime juice.
  • Divide that coated half into three equal sections, then dip each section into one of the three mixtures to create distinct stripes.
  • Set aside.
  • Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
  • Shake and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
cocktail cocktails drinks piña colada