Love a good Piña Colada? Then here’s the drink for you: the Chi Chi drink! This Piña Colada with vodka is just as good as the original, in our opinion. It’s surprising how well it holds up to the rum-based classic. Whip it up in a blender and it’s tangy, sweet, coconut-y and tropical: the perfect beachy drink for summer or anytime you’re craving sun.
What’s in a Chi Chi drink?
The Chi Chi is a vodka spin on the Piña Colada, a classic cocktail invented in Puerto Rico made with pineapple juice, rum, and coconut. Invented in San Juan in 1954 by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero, it was declared the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978. The Chi Chi was invented by Donn Beach at his Hollywood restaurant called Don the Beachcomber, sometime after the original caught on. (Donn was also inventor of the Zombie and other Tiki cocktails). It was first made with macadamia nut liqueur and called the Macadamia Nut Chi Chi, but over time the fancy liqueur was dropped in favor of this simpler version. The ingredients for the Chi Chi drink are:
Frozen pineappleIceVodkaCream of coconutPineapple juice
All you’ve got to do? Throw it all in a blender and blend it up! The flavor comes out smooth and tropical: just sweet enough and balanced between pineapple and coconut. In fact, we couldn’t stop sipping it!
Cream of coconut vs coconut cream
When you go to buy Chi Chi drink ingredients, remember this: Buy cream of coconut, not coconut cream. There’s an important difference between the two. Here’s what to know about cream of coconut vs coconut cream:
Coconut cream is made from coconut milk and is typically sold in cans. It is very thick and tastes like coconut, but it’s not sweetened. Cream of coconut is made from coconut cream and sugar. It’s used to sweeten tropical drinks like a classic piña colada. It’s often sold in handy squeeze bottles to use in drinks. Cream of coconut is easy to find online or at your local liquor store. A popular brand is Coco Real.
For the garnish: cherry and drink umbrellas
The beachy Chi Chi drink is often served with a drink umbrella, just like a Piña Colada. Here are a few things you can use for the garnish:
More coconut drinks
There are so many great ways to highlight coconut in cocktails! These tropical drinks are great for using up the rest of your bottle of cream of coconut:
Try the classic Piña Colada or Frozen Piña ColadaOpt for the 1970’s spinoff, the PainkillerGo for a Coconut Martini, Coconut Margarita or Coconut MojitoTry a chocolaty spin on a Piña Colada, the Bushwacker
5 from 2 reviews
