What if you accidentally use coconut cream for this drink? Well, it won’t taste sweet at all. If you make this misstep and want to save your drink, you can add simple syrup to taste. What ingredients are really in this tropical frozen mixed drink? Here’s how to make a piña colada—the classic way! As two cocktail experts with over 300 cocktail recipes in our library, our recipe for this drink hits the spot every time. Because who doesn’t love a good piña colada? This drink is on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, which means it has an official definition. Our spin on the classic adds two additional ingredients. The piña colada ingredients are:
Rum Cream of coconut (not coconut cream) Pineapple juice Ice Frozen pineapple Lime juice
The IBA definition of a piña colada is the first three ingredients. Lime juice is traditionally added by many bartenders to add even more tangy flavor. We added frozen pineapple here to enhance the frozen texture and heighten the pineapple flavor.
Coconut cream is made from chilling coconut milk and then skimming off the layer of cream that floats to the top. It is very thick and tastes like coconut, but is not sweetened. It’s typically sold in cans next to the coconut milk. Cream of coconut is coconut cream with lots of sugar added. It’s used to sweeten tropical drinks like a classic piña colada and is sold in handy squeeze bottles. Cream of coconut is easy to find online or at your local liquor store. A popular brand is Coco Real. More popular coconut cocktails use this ingredient, too: try the Painkiller, Chi Chi, Coconut Martini or Bushwacker.
Piña colada variations
Frequently asked questions
Frozen pineapple chunks White rum Full fat coconut milk Lime juice Simple syrup
Aged rum is also known as golden rum, amber rum, or añejo rum (meaning “aged”). Aging gives it a complex flavor, more like a Cognac. It has undertones of vanilla, coconut, almond, citrus, or caramel. The aged rum we used here was Brugal Añejo Rum. White rum is more straightforward in flavor, with less nuance. It gives more of a classic rum “burn” to this piña colada. But it tastes great and you can use it if that’s all you have on hand!
Try a zero proof Virgin Pina Colada Opt for a Frozen Piña Colada Go for the Chi Chi, a pina colada with vodka Mix up the Painkiller, a variation with aged rum and orange juice
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