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Discover the best (and original) piña colada recipe

Say cheers to National Piña Colada Day at the Caribe Hilton — the very place the summer cocktail was first invented. | By Leanne Philip | July 6, 2022 (Updated July 10, 2024)

Can you think of a drink that better embodies summer than a piña colada? Think about it — you’ve got coconut, which calls to mind golden beaches, and refreshing pineapple, which hints at tropical destinations just waiting for your PTO. Plus, this popular summer cocktail requires almost no prep time, making it the perfect drink for those lazy days of summer. And there’s no better day to grab your blender and say cheers to summer than July 10 — otherwise known as National Piña Colada Day and also the 70th anniversary of the drink’s invention at Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico.

Cocktail legend has it that the hotel’s bartender, Ramón “Monchito” Marrero was experimenting with blended drink recipes when he landed on the delicious mix of rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice. Marrero served up the icy summer cocktail for more than three decades, and saw it become the official drink of Puerto Rico. Luckily for you (and us!), Caribe Hilton is still serving up the original piña colada recipe for guests to enjoy. And for those in search of a more modern twist, well not to worry — they’ve got that covered too. Get ready for your next stay in paradise by following along and learning how to make the best piña colada recipe(s).

Caribe Hilton’s original piña colada recipe

(Serves one)

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces rum

  • 1 ounce coconut cream

  • 1 ounce heavy cream

  • 6 ounces fresh pineapple juice

  • 1/2 cup crushed ice

Optional

  • pineapple slice

  • maraschino cherry

Preparation

Combine the rum, cream of coconut, heavy cream and pineapple juice.

Pour over ice in a 12-ounce glass and garnish with fresh pineapple and a cherry.

Enjoy on repeat all summer long.

Side view of three Pina Colada cocktails sitting on a bar
A slice of fresh pineapple adds a nice (and easy!) finishing touch to your piña colada.

Espuma colada

(Serves one)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ ounces Don Q Anejo rum

  • ½ ounce Macorix Coco Splash coconut rum

  • ½ ounce pineapple syrup

  • 1 ounce pineapple juice

  • 4 dashes black walnut bitters

  • 3 ounces coconut lime cream (recipe below)

Optional

  • mint sprig

  • grated nutmeg

Preparation

Combine the Don Q Anejo rum, Macorix Coco Splash coconut rum, pineapple juice, pineapple syrup and black walnut bitters in a shaker.

Add ice and shake for at least 10 seconds.

Strain into cocktail glass and top with the coconut lime cream.

Garnish with mint sprig and grated nutmeg.

Coconut lime cream

(Serves nine)

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces fresh lime juice

  • 8 ounces Coco López cream of coconut

  • 16 ounces water

  • 4 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

  • Pinch salt

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients together in a storage container of your choosing.

Whisk well and store in freezer until ready for use.

When ready, spoon on top of your espuma colada.

Celebrate National Piña Colada Day

Many great stories start at a Hilton, but the greatest? One bartender inventing the piña colada — a drink so iconic that 70 years later it’s a lifestyle, too.

Leanne Philip is a content marketing manager at Hilton. She has written for numerous print and digital platforms, including Travel + Leisure, The Atlantan, and Barneys New York.

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