Perfect Pina Colada

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Pina colada's can be made two ways, perfectly and imperfectly. Some people have all these fancy mixers, additions, and ideas of what a Perfect Pina Colada should be. The Perfect Pina Colada is simple. Four ingredients. Coconut. Pineapple. Rum. Ice.

Oh it’s hot outside, and inside for that matter!

It wasn’t, and then suddenly it was!

Hawaii, for the most part, has quite a temperate climate with very little variation. It’s about 83ºF during the day and 78ºF at night. Makes for a pretty easy weatherman gig if you ask me. But summer can still be warm for those who indulge in outdoor activities.

Many people don’t have air conditioning, though over the last few years there has been quite an increase on who does and who doesn't. We have recently jumped on the a/c train and Lord willing, will be the proud owners of two new spilt units on May 31, electrician pending!

But until those glorious and bulky boxes of compressed freon arrive, it’s me and a cold drink. Usually ice water because, let’s be honest, it’s summer, beach bod season, and this frequent eater needs all the help she can get. But it doesn’t have to be all bland.

Growing up, my mom didn’t drink much alcohol, so her drink of choice was the pina colada. In the summertime, we would go down to Waikiki to use one of the hotel pools, and she would splurge and order the two of us each an icy pina colada, colored toothpick cocktail umbrella included. Can you have a plna colada without an umbrella? To this day, I prefer them without rum, it just tastes better in my opinion. I am completely aware that no one else agrees with me.

We tried to make them at home but they never tasted the same. Store bought mixes, frozen mixes, crazy ingredients. It took moving to Florida and hosting a luau to discover the perfect pina colada is ridiculously easy and only has two ingredients. Three, if you count rum and four, if you count ice.

The best part about making a pina colada? It’s really not a science. Yes, we can be specific, one part pineapple to one part coconut, but honestly, as someone who has not made many, many pina coladas," “thank you, luau in Florida”, they basically all taste good, even if the proportions are off.

So I kind of gave away the not-so-secret ingredients above, but really that is all you need. Pineapple juice and coconut. With the pineapple juice, you can even go crazy. I have used canned pineapple chunks that I had on hand, fresh pineapple, canned precut pineapple, even rings! Just be sure to use the juice (it would say here, if you are using canned pineapple chunks, slices, or whatever, make sure they are packed in pineapple juice, not sugar syrup! That will throw off the taste..)

However, when deciding on coconut, there is really only one option.

Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

This is the good stuff. It’s thick and shouts coconut flavor.

Honestly, I don’t think you can make a good pina colada without it. When you open the can, the contents looks a bit funny. Don’t shy away. You’re halfway there and you won’t be sorry!

One last thing, cream of coconut can be a bit difficult to separate if in fact you are making a pina colada for yourself and not for an entire luau of people. I run into this scenario often….

Solution!

Make a big batch using the entire can of cream of coconut but don't add the rum. Blend, add the rum to what you will drink, and freeze the rest in ice cube trays, plastic bags or any other storage vessel.. The next time you want a single pina colada? Simply add the frozen version to your blender, let it sit for 5 - 10 minutes, add some rum and/or pineapple juice, if you need more liquid, and blend away. No ice needed!

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