Do you like getting caught in the rain? The feel of the ocean? Then surely, surely you must love piña coladas. Come with me, and escape into an exotic taste — it’s the love that you’ve looked for!
Ah, but I couldn’t help getting the song out of my head. It got stuck in my head a few days ago when I listened to it as the first rains this year came down. Like the welcome pitter patter and the lovely petrichor, the song took hold of me for a while, and when it let go, it left me craving a piña colada. Well, that’s how I got to making it. Not because I though of a beach, not because I was parched, not because it was summer, and not because I needed a drink. It was simply because of Rupert Holmes’ Escape.
And escape I did. Into the ocean breeze and its fine spray, into a vision of those tropical coconutty beaches, into a slow afternoon. And you will too, once you get a taste this lovely drink. Freshly pressed pineapple juice and coconut milk beats any ready-to-drink mix hands down; they make a foamy drink when shaken together much like the waves that hit the shore. Pineapple and coconut make for a fragrant and creamy combination, and when combined with rum makes for heady concoction.
A look at IBA’s page for the piña colada recipe put a smile on my face. It was so simple: one part white rum, one part coconut cream, and three parts pineapple along with some crushed ice. If you don’t have coconut cream on hand, you can use coconut milk along with two tablespoons of heavy cream. Cream of coconut (thicker and richer than coconut milk and coconut cream) is a good substitute too. Oh, and if your pineapple tastes a little too bland, you can add a dash of lime juice and a tablespoon of crushed palm sugar to move things along.
If you love all things coconut and pineapple, do check out my recipe for another cocktail — Cabo Colada, this very warm coconut pineapple udside down cake recipe and the perfect pineapple upside down cake recipe.
Let me know how it goes in the comments below or with the hashtag #notjustspice in Instagram or @notjustspice on Facebook.
Do you like getting caught in the rain? The feel of the ocean? Then surely, surely you must love piña coladas. Come with me, and escape into the ocean breeze and its fine spray, into a vision of those tropical coconutty beaches, into a slow afternoon, and into this exotic and dreamy piña colada — it’s the love that you’ve looked for!
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (or 1/2 cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons heavy cream)
- 1/2 cup white rum
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon lime juice optional
- 1 tablespoon crushed palm sugar optional
- 1 cup crushed ice
- 3-4 pineapple wegdes
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Combine all the ingredients except the pineapple wedges in a cocktail shaker or a blender until it it smooth and foamy.
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Pour into large goblets or hurricanes glasses and serve with a pineapple wedge.
When you do make it, let me know how it turned out! Tag me on Facebook, or Insta using the hashtag #notjustspice, or Twitter @notjustspice. For another tropical drink, do check this recipe for Cabo Colada.
Related Links:
Pina Colada (International Bartenders Association)
The Birth of the Piña Colada (history.com)
Piña Colada (Wikipedia)
Rupert Holmes — Escape (The Piña Colada Song) (YouTube)
Warm Coconut Pineapple Upside Down Cake (not just spice)
The Perfect Pineapple Upside Down Cake (not just spice)
Cabo Colada (not just spice)
