If you've heard the song Escape by Rupert Holmes, you probably also can't help but hear the phrase "if you like piña coladas" playing in your head when the piña colada is mentioned. The name “piña colada” means strained pineapple, which is a reference to the freshly squeezed and strained pineapple juice used in the cocktail.

The history of the piña colada

The earliest known history of the cocktail dates back to the 19th century, when Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresi served a cocktail of coconut, pineapple and rum to his crew to boost morale. This cocktail would later become known as the famous piña colada. With the death of Roberte Cofresi (executed by shooting) in 1825, the recipe disappeared. The historian Haydée Reichard however disputes this narrative.

The Caribe Hilton hotel has said that bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero Perez created the Piña Colada on August 16, 1954. After 3 months of experimentation, Ramón had finally come up with a recipe that he believed captured the true nature and essence of Puerto Rico. The hotel was presented with a proclamation in 2004 by Puerto Rico Governor Sila M. Calderón in celebration of the cocktail's 50th anniversary.

In 1978, the cocktail officially became the national drink of Puerto Rico.

How to make a perfect piña colada

Mix all the ingredients described above in a blender and blend it. When the mixture is uniform and thick, it is ready to serve.

If the mixture is too thin, you can add more ice cubes. If, on the other hand, the mixture is too thick, more liquid must be added.

Piña colada — the disco version

In a pinch where it has to be quick and you don't quite have all the ingredients at hand, the disco version can also be an option. The recipe is much simpler as it only requires the following:

• 4 cl coconut liqueur, e.g. Malibu
• 5 cl pineapple juice
• 5 cl whole milk

The ingredients are mixed in a cocktail shaker with ice. The contents are then shaken and strained into a hurricane or red wine glass with ice cubes and served. Cheers!

If you replace the 4 cl of coconut liqueur with coconut cream you get a nice alcohol free cocktail.