Know your
Pina Coladas

Did you know thatPuerto Rico’s National drink is a Rum Cocktail? The famous Pina Colada, billboard star of the 1970s, is the celebrated official drink of the island nation. While the exact inventor of the Pina Colada is debated till day, one thing that is for certain is – the drink was born, raised and forever lives inPuerto Rico.
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Legends have it that the first Pina Colada was created by Puerto Rico’s Robin Hood – Roberto Cofresi. The pirate is said to have created the drink out of white rum, coconut milk, and pineapple juice for his crewmen.

However, no one can vouch for the same as they were all executed for being pirates before they could confirm our questions on the origin of Pina Coladas.

Whether or not the recipe was truly created by him, Puerto Ricans continue to associate
Pina Colada with Cofresi – and in modern times with the Ramos(s).

The Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan insists that the recipe was first crafted by Ramon Monchito Marrero – a bartender who was commissioned to create a signature cocktail for their bar in 1954. Monchito initially made a milkshake-like-drink of coconut cream, vanilla ice cream, and pineapple juice for large parties at the bar. Since milkshakes didn’t bring all the boys to the yard, he decided to add coconut rum and thus created THE Pina Colada.

Another bartender – Ricardo Garcia, alleged that he came up with the recipe the same year by improvising their popular drink Coco Loco. Faced with a coconut shortage, the bartender served their welcome drink in a carved pineapple – thus making another version of the Pina Colada.

Establishing claims on the drink again was another bartender Ramon Portas Mignot from Old San Juan. He went one step ahead and placed a plaque at his establishment claiming it as the ‘Birthplace’ of the Pina Colada.

Be it whichever Ramos, Puerto Rico continues to celebrate their love for the drink and holds a festival every year to drink up this love of theirs.