Piña colada

Our drinks expert, Hannah Guinness, shares her at-home bar tips to help you take your piña colada to the next level.

What is a piña colada?

Creamy, fruity and delightfully retro, this drink of coconut cream, white rum and pineapple is the national drink of Puerto Rico, where it was invented in the mid 20th century. After tasting it for the first time, Joan Crawford supposedly deemed the drink “better than slapping Bette Davis in the face”. Make of that what you will.

Piña colada ingredients

Invest in a quality white rum for this recipe – we’ve tried and tested the best premium rums for you.

Bar hacks and garnishes

You’ll need a blender for this recipe – and make sure you don’t use too much ice when blending as this will make the cocktail watery. A piña colada is classically served in a hurricane glass.

Take your skills to the next level with this handy cocktail kit from the olive shop. Completed with easy-to-use cobbler shaker, double jigger, fine mesh strainer and bar spoon, it has everything you need to make next-level drinks at home. Buy here.

Make it a non-alcoholic piña colada

For a convincing alternative to rum, try mixing 3-4 tbsp of apple juice with a dash of almond extract.

Classic piña colada recipe