Summer drink Pina Colada – fruity, fresh and momentous
As summer approaches and temperatures rise, we are all increasingly drawn to the outdoors. Barbecues and garden parties await us outdoors. And, of course, the corresponding drinks.
Summer cocktails like the Pina Colada are particularly popular. After all, this cocktail variant stands for exotic flair and aromatic taste even more than other summer drinks. Find out here what goes into a good Pina Colada. After reading this article, you will also know which variations are worth trying. Your next garden party and guests will love you for your knowledge. Pina Colada – you are a blessing.
Do you like Pina Colada and getting caught in the rain…?
The Pina Colada is a sweet, creamy drink and the right cocktail for summer. Just one look at the list of ingredients tells you why this cocktail is perfect for hot evenings with exotic flair: pineapple juice and coconut cream give the Pina Colada a tropical flair, rounded off by rum. Unlike vodka, the aroma of rum does not disappear in the drink, but remains clearly perceptible and – with the right rum as a base – exudes the characteristically sweet, caramel note of good rum.
The classic
The Pina Colada also deserves its status as a cocktail classic. There are a few myths surrounding the creation of the first Pina Colada, but the cocktail is generally dated to the 50s or 60s and was first mixed in Puerto Rico.
Unlike many newfangled summer cocktail recipes, the Pina Colada has earned its spurs – which may also be due to its versatility. Even if you are not a fan of the dominant pineapple flavour, you can easily mix summer drinks based on this Pina Colada recipe.
The recipe for the perfect Pina Colada – the ideal summer cocktail
A Pina Colada for a cocktail tumbler (0.33l) requires 6cl white rum, 10cl pineapple juice, 4cl coconut cream, 2cl liquid whipped cream, chrushed ice and, if desired, a cocktail cherry for decoration.
You should use a cocktail mixer to prepare the cocktail. Pour the ingredients into the glass first (this will ensure that the amount is correct), but leave some space around the rim of the glass. Then pour into the mixer, close it tightly and start shaking. If you close the mixer too casually, you will only spread the summer drinks among your guests, especially after the first drink.
How it works:
When shaking, mix the ingredients, melt the ice and foam the cream a little. When decanting, it will come in handy that you left a little more space in the glass in the first step. If you don’t want to use glasses, you can of course serve your summer drinks in half a coconut. But as a rule, such exotic garden party ideas need more start-up time than simple glasses and the drinks are not so easy to put down. The latter can be tricky with the Pina Colada, more on this later.
Pina Colada variations – colourful summer drinks based on the Pina Colada
The basic version is a classic, but not always practical. Bars in particular rarely use coconut milk for their summer drinks, as it is hardly ever used; coconut syrup is used instead. The flavoured sugar syrup has a longer shelf life and masks alcohol flavours better.
There are also alternatives for the cream, the classic whipped cream can be replaced by a vegan coconut-based alternative, for example. This must then be coordinated with the coconut flavour and requires some practice.
The perfect cocktail for summer also gets a little more spice if you use brown rum instead of white rum. However, make sure you use a young brown rum with a low alcohol content (less than 50 per cent by volume).
More drinks:
Other summer cocktail recipes are also based on the Pina Colada and substitute pineapple and coconut. This gives the Pina Colada a completely different kick, for example, it can be served as a Strawberry Colada by replacing the pineapple juice with strawberry juice. As a general rule, the juices must be sweet, otherwise they will clash with the cream and coconut. The coconut milk can basically be omitted, but a colada is characteristically creamy – so orange or cranberry juice are taboo.
Sirup is the key
Syrups can also provide a special flavour in summer drinks, taking the place of coconut milk and complementing the pineapple flavour. Very suitable are generally summery berry flavours such as raspberry, strawberry, but also cherry. Almond syrup is also very good and makes the cocktail recipes for summer almost suitable for winter.
By the way, you should always be a little careful with Pina Colada, because the sweet cocktail is a guarantee for a hangover the next morning. But why is that actually the case?
Do sweet summer drinks always cause a hangover?
You’re probably familiar with the hangover after a night of drinking, but a cocktail in the summer seems to have particularly nasty consequences. But is that really true?
Here, myth, experience and reality combine to make their own cocktail. Basically, it always depends on the amount of alcohol. It’s just that 6cl of rum is roughly the alcohol content of two small beers, which is not insignificant when you’re sipping cocktail after cocktail.
Sugar content:
In principle, the sugar content of the juice itself does not have an additional effect on the hangover; at most, it becomes dangerous for teeth and blood sugar at some point. However, some summer cocktail recipes mask the alcohol content with the sweet juice, which makes alcoholic summer drinks a real danger. You don’t notice how much alcohol you’re drinking very quickly – often only when you’re really drunk. It’s even more dangerous in the summer because the sun dehydrates your body. Maybe you get some great garden party ideas like volleyball or a trip to the pool, so your body loses even more water. The increased dehydration in combination with alcohol then takes its bitter revenge the next morning. But there is virgin salvation in the form of the Virgin Colada.
Virgin Colada – the alcohol-free alternative to the Pina Colada
The Virgin Colada proves that fresh and tropical drinks are also possible without alcohol. Next to the Ipanema, it is one of the most popular non-alcoholic alternatives to a cocktail classic.
The basics remain the same for the Virgin Colada: pineapple juice and coconut milk, and the sweet fruit shake also contains cream. But instead of just omitting the rum, it is replaced by passion fruit juice or orange juice. This gives the Virgin Colada a pleasantly sour sharpness that balances the sweet juice well.
Pina Colada and other sweet cocktail recipes for summer
At the latest when the sun is shining and the temperatures are rising, the appeal of a good pool party is irresistible. So that you don’t run out of ideas for your own cocktail creations at the next garden party, you should always have a good Pina Colada up your sleeve.
Not only is it one of the most iconic summer cocktails, it’s also extremely versatile thanks to its recipe. Colourful versions with berry juices, a pink mix with cream and cherry syrup or a non-alcoholic Virgin Colada – you have all the choices for a hot taste of palm trees and beach life.
You can find more blog posts and ideas for your perfect summer here:
You can find many more drinks on Pinterest, where everyone will find what they’re looking for. Fancy or classic. There’s always something here!
