Have you ever heard Piña Colada? Piña, a Spanish term for pineapple; and Piña Colada, literally meaning "strained pineapple", is a cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice, usually served either blended or shaken with ice.

The Piña Colada has been around for decades, some even claim a whole century. In order to find out the history behind the drink, we must focus on a tropical island in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, in which Piña Colada is their national drink, and there is even a National Piña Colada Day on July 10 each year.

Puerto Rico

Located about a thousand miles southeast of Florida, Puerto Rico has a complex colonial history and political status. Originally populated by the indigenous Taíno people, Puerto Rico was colonized by Spain following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493. It was contested by other European powers but remained a Spanish possession for the next four centuries. By the late 19th century, a distinctly Puerto Rican identity began to emerge, centered around a fusion of indigenous, African, and European elements. In 1898, following the Spanish–American War, the United States acquired Puerto Rico. The local residents started to export tropical fruits to the United States, including coconuts, pineapples, and citrus fruits in the 20th century. They also began to distill their own rum and invented Coco Lopez, a creamy coconut extract mixed with natural cane sugar in the 1950s.

There is some controversy as to whether pirates or bartenders invented the cocktail.

Pirates and Piña Colada

Roberto Cofresí, better known as El Pirata Cofresí, a 19th-century pirate from Puerto Rico, is heralded as the first people to create the Piña Colada. He was born into a noble family, but the political and economic difficulties faced by the island as a colony of the Spanish Empire during the Latin American wars of independence meant that his household was poor. After he was repeatedly mistreated by Spanish and British merchants, Cofresí became a pirate. It is said that to combat the stresses of being out at sea for so long, he concocted a drink made up of coconut, pineapple juice, and rum for his crew. The recipe was lost when Cofresí was caught and executed in 1825. However, this pirate Piña Colada is unlike our modern recipe, for it didn't use cream or coconut.

Three different bartenders claimed the invention as their own. They were Ramón "Monchito" Marrero, Ricardo García and Ramón Portas Mignot.

Ramón "Monchito" Marrero

Ramón "Monchito" Marrero was a bartender who worked at the Beachcomber Bar of Caribe Hilton Hotel. The management of the restaurant tasked him with creating a cocktail that embodied the flavor and spirit of the island. Coconut was a major commodity on the island, along with pineapple as well, which made it a clear choice for Ramón. Also, this was around the time that Coco Lopez found its way to the supermarket shelves, which was an essential ingredient that allowed the bartender to make the cocktail by the gallons. Ramón experimented with these flavors, and eventually created the signature drink he wanted. Although the cocktail did not get the name until later, the flavors were born there.

Ricardo García

Others hold the idea that Ricardo García - who was also a bartender at the Caribe Hilton Hotel - alleged he came up with the refreshing recipe that same year as a result of a coconut shortage. When the coconut cutter's union strike of 1954 occurred, he ran out of coconut shells to house the drink. Garcia improvised and put the cocktail in a pineapple that had been hollowed out. The flavor from the pineapple was widely enjoyed by guests, so Garcia started adding freshly pressed and strained pineapple juice to the cocktail.

Ramón Portas Mignot

Ramón Portas Mignot, a bartender at Barrachina in Old San Juan, was the third one to claim to craft this delicious tropical delight back in 1963. He experimented with Coco Lopez and rum mixtures – he hit upon a similar recipe to Ramón Marrero. It is possible that he was the first to call the drink Piña Colada. There's even a plaque at the entrance of the establishment to commemorate the birthplace of this popular drink.

No matter which one is true, Piña Colada really became more and more popular. Everybody who visited the island was raving about it and couldn't get enough of it. Famous American singers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. absolutely loved it. John Wayne and his Hollywood co-star Joan Crawford didn't shy away from it either. And in 2004, Caribe Hilton Hotel was presented with a proclamation signed by Puerto Rico's Governor Sila María Calderón in honor of the 50th anniversary of the beverage.

It is easy to make a Piña Colada. If you would like to make it at your home, all you need is a blender that blends ice and the usual ingredients – fresh pineapple juice, coconut cream, heavy cream, and crushed ice. Garnish it with a slice of pineapple or cherry and you're all set.