History of the Puerto Rican Piña Colada

Records show that the piña colada originated in the 19th century, when on a pirate ship, Puerto Rican Roberto Cofresí offered the crew a drink he had prepared with coconut, pineapple, and rum. Another version of its origin tells us that the piña colada was born at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico's capital, when bartender Ramón, known as Monchito, created the piña colada cocktail on August 16, 1954.

 

One of the hotel waiters confirms Monchito’s version and explains that the hotel manager, faced with a coconut cutter strike that year, asked the bartender to prepare an original drink to attract customers. After several attempts, the bartender Monchito came up with the piña colada cocktail. He wanted to combine ingredients that represented the island’s essence, namely pineapple and coconut cream, which was new and innovative at the time. Thus, he created a drink that went on to become popular internationally.

 

On July 10, 1978, the piña colada was declared Puerto Rico’s national drink. Since then, it has delighted Puerto Ricans with its ingredient combination, becoming the main beverage at country celebrations and accompanying appetizers. The recipe has evolved according to individual tastes, but of course, it always includes pineapple, rum, and a splash of coconut cream. Everyone adds their personal touch to create their own original piña colada.