Does piña colada have rum or vodka?

Does piña colada have rum or vodka?

Ingredients

  • ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1½ ounce cream of coconut
  • 1½ ounces pineapple juice
  • 2 ounces pineapple flavored vodka
  • Ice
  • Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, pineapple vodka, and ice.
  2. Shake to chill.
  3. Strain into a poco grande glass filled with ice.
  4. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Variations and Substitutions

The chi chi is a variation on the piña colada; it replaces the standard rum with vodka. However, the recipe is otherwise pretty similar. Vodka has a more neutral flavor than rum, so the resulting drink has a slightly different taste. Other variations:

  • Make a vodka painkiller cocktail (usually made with Prusser's rum) by replacing the lime juice with 1 ounce of freshly squeezed orange juice. Garnish with a grating of fresh nutmeg.
  • Toss all the ingredients in a blender with 1 cup of frozen pineapple chunks and ½ cup of crushed ice and blend until smooth for a frozen chi chi.
  • Replace ½ ounce of the coconut cream with ½ ounce of strawberry or banana liqueur for a fruity twist on the original.
  • Use unflavored vodka in place of the pineapple vodka.

Garnish

The classic garnish for the chi chi is called a flag; it's an orange slice and a cherry either on a cocktail pick or placed on the rim of the glass. Step away from the classic with the following garnish ideas:

  • Use a sliced strawberry.
  • Top with freshly grated nutmeg for an aromatic treat.
  • Garnish with a small fresh pineapple wedge or a pineapple leaf.

About the Vodka Piña Colada

Even without the rum, the vodka piña colada (also known as the chi chi) probably qualifies as a tiki drink with its tropical fruity flavors. In fact, you can swap vodka for rum in most tiki cocktails and you'll still have a delicious drink, which is ideal for tropical cocktail loves who don't prefer rum.

It's likely that the grandfather of tiki cocktails, Don the Beachcomber (a.k.a. Don Beach) made the first chi chi after he opened the first tiki bar in Hollywood in the 1930s. Not surprisingly, Beach loved the beach, and he also loved tropical cocktails and rum. Thus, tiki cocktail culture began, and what followed are some of the most delicious, tropical, fruity rum cocktails known to man. And while the chi chi doesn't have rum, Beach occasionally had to substitute another spirit making whole new drinks for his cocktail-loving clientele.

A Chi Chi Will Make You Cha-Cha-Cha

Even if rum isn't your thing, you can still take part in tiki cocktail culture. Simply add some vodka in place of rum, and you'll be dancing all night to the beat of your own drum.

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The Piña Colada has a bit of a bad rap among cocktail connoisseurs. For years, this now-classic drink was the poster child of the blender boom, a symbol of poolside bars and booze cruises. But the tropical cocktail—a mix of rum, coconut, pineapple and lime juices—dates to the 1950s and has been satisfying vacationers and Tiki aficionados since.

As the story goes, the Piña Colada debuted in 1954, when it was first mixed by Ramon "Monchito" Marrero, the head barman at the Caribe Hilton in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Perez had blended up a winner, and the tropical drink enjoyed its place in the sun for decades, finding its way to American shores and faraway isles. However, the quality took a nose dive around the 1970s when barkeeps began making Piña Coladas with cheap, bottled mixers and serving them in comically large glasses.

Fortunately, the drink has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, as craft-focused bartenders reclaimed the original recipe, once again focusing on solid ingredients and proper proportions. Some also opted to sub shaker tins for the traditional blender, creating a lighter, less-icy cocktail.

This recipe follows that tack, silencing the blender blades and employing a nice, sturdy shake. This technique keeps the cocktail from becoming overly diluted, and serving it over pebble ice ensures a cold drink.

The new-wave Piña Colada will make you forget about the bad examples served on Bourbon Street and at all-inclusive resorts. This Colada is sweet, but balanced, with crisp rum and tart fruit complementing the rich coconut. Whether you’re on vacation or just making drinks at home, don’t neglect the Piña Colada. Put one of these in everyone’s hand, and good times are imminent.

Click Play to Learn How to Make a Pina Colada Cocktail

  • 2 ounces light rum

  • 1 1/2 ounces cream of coconut

  • 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice

  • 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • Garnish: pineapple wedge

  • Garnish: pineapple leaf

  1. Add the rum, cream of coconut and pineapple and lime juices to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds.

  2. Strain into a chilled Hurricane glass over pebble ice.

  3. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and pineapple leaf.

Does Pina Colada have rum or vodka?

Piña Colada For years, this now-classic drink was the poster child of the blender boom, a symbol of poolside bars and booze cruises. But the tropical cocktail—a mix of rum, coconut, pineapple and lime juices—dates to the 1950s and has been satisfying vacationers and Tiki aficionados since.

Can you substitute vodka for rum in a Pina Colada?

No problem! Vodka is a common substitute for rum in Pina Coladas. However, since vodka definitely has a distinct taste and lacks the sweetness of rum, it's recommended that you add a splash of simple syrup or extra pineapple juice to the classic homemade Pina Colada Mix Recipe.

Does Pina Colada have rum?

The Piña Colada is one of the most beloved and satisfying drinks on the planet. The frosty mix of rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream will transport you to a faraway paradise, no matter where in the world you are at the moment.

What liquor goes good with Pina Colada?

Most piña coladas rely on white rum as the backbone spirit, but gold rum offers welcome complexity. According to Chris Gaspar, Bacardi Añejo Cuatro is a particular standout due to its "slight oak flavor that provides the presence of alcohol."