The Pina Colada--Frankie

 The best drink of all time, the Piña Colada. Literally meaning, “strained pineapple,” this drink is creamy, refreshing, and most importantly, delicious. I could drink these for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, midnight snack…you get the point. Unfortunately, they are not as simple to make like a Shirley Temple, but that does not mean they are complicated. The recipe provides so much room for error that the only way you can mess it up is by getting the wrong ingredients. 

So, onto the ingredients: 

- Cream of Coconut 

- Pineapple Juice

 - Frozen Pineapple Chunks 

- A Lot of Ice 

- (Optional) Coconut or Pineapple Rum 

- (Optional) Maraschino Cherries 

Remember how I said that the only way you can mess up is getting the wrong ingredients? 

- Cream of Coconut is by far the most important ingredient, and the most easily missed. It is important to ensure that you get cream of coconut and not coconut cream or coconut milk. This ingredient cannot be substituted at all. Personally, I prefer Coco Reál because it comes in a bottle that can be opened and closed as much as you’d like. 

- Pineapple Juice is another vital ingredient, but has a way to be substituted. If you choose to get fresh pineapple instead of frozen, you can triple the amount of pineapple added to get the same effect as pineapple juice, but it will make your drink pulpy.

- As mentioned previously, frozen pineapple can be substituted for fresh pineapple. I prefer buying frozen pineapple as it’s cheaper and I also like my drinks to be icy. However if you choose to buy fresh canned pineapple, the can usually contains pineapple juice to hold the fruit. 

- I don’t drink alcohol and never will, but a Piña Colada is commonly an alcoholic drink and so many will enjoy the addition. Here you have two choices between coconut rum and pineapple rum depending on the tastebuds of the drinker whether they like more coconut or pineapple taste. I do not recommend using a plain rum as it can taste too strong in the drink. 

Tools: 

- Strong Blender 

- Measuring Cup 

- Stirring Spoon

 - Drinking Glass 

16oz Piña Colada Recipe: 

Measure out ½ cup of cream of coconut and add to the blender. 

I recommend doing this step first. Since the cream of coconut is a thick syrup, that means it is difficult to get all of it out of the measuring cup and into the blender even when using a spoon. By doing this first, it means that when pineapple juice is added, the cream of coconut will come out too. If you prefer a coconutty taste, you can add one or two more spoonfuls of the cream while leaving pineapple juice at just ½ cup. I like to add three.

Measure out ½ cup of pineapple juice and add to the blender. 

Try to get out the remaining cream of coconut by adding this to the same measuring cup. If you prefer a pineapple taste, you can add one or two more spoonfuls of pineapple juice while leaving the amount of cream at just ½ cup.

Measure out ½ cup of frozen pineapple chunks and add to the blender.

I say to add ½ cup of pineapple to be exact, but it is always much easier to add just a handful which usually comes to around ½ cup.

Measure out 1½ cup of ice and add to the blender. 

Ice usually comes with a bit of variation. For me, this is the exact amount of ice to make the colada thick, but not too thick. If you want it thinner, add less ice, around 1 cup. If you want it thicker, add more ice, around 2 cups. However, if you choose to add fresh pineapple chunks instead of frozen, you will always need more ice. Also, if you choose to add alcohol, you will once again need more ice. A basic rule for this would be to add ½ cup of extra ice to each thickness level for each change. I also recommend adding cubed ice instead of crushed ice, it also contributes to a thicker drink.

(Optional) Measure out 3oz of flavored rum. 

Once again, choose the rum to your liking. Coconut rum adds a stronger coconut taste, but pineapple adds a stronger pineapple taste. This is always an optional step and the drink will taste great regardless. Always remember to drink responsibly and only when you are of age. 

Blend, blend, blend. 

Once everything is in the blender, turn it on to a medium speed for about a minute. Pay attention to the blender and take your time, but not too much time as it could cause the Piña Colada to become a piña liquid, not fun. If your blender only has two speeds, set it on high and do constant checks till you reach the desired thickness.

Serve. 

Depending on your desired thickness, serving can be a breeze or extremely difficult. If it does not pour out, open the lid and use your spoon to scoop out the drink into a nice glass.

(Optional) Garnish. 

Using the maraschino cherries and a spoon, serve two cherries onto the top of the drink. Since it is icy, they will not sink and instead rest on the top. To go even further, take a spoonful of the maraschino syrup and drizzle it on top gently so it does not mix.

Enjoy. 

The taste is always doubled when you make it yourself. Take a seat and relax. Sip on your drink slowly and let it melt on your tongue so that the flavors are slowly released. You deserve this.