Hi, Friends of Cocktails! Recently I tried the best Piña Colada in the World, and today I’ll show you how to make it. I will also show you the two secret ingredients that make it special, but there’s a little story first of where and why I was able to try this cocktail. So if you want to know how to make this Piña Colada and why the flavors work so well, then stick around. It’s Cocktail Time!
So to try this amazing Piña Colada I had to travel to Miami, Florida. But that wasn’t the reason I traveled there. I was invited to the stunning Sexy Fish Miami bar to host a masterclass and a guest shift, focused on using local and sustainable ingredients in mixology. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who showed up, and of course to Gabriel Morales, Bar Manager at Sexy Fish Miami for the invitation.
If you’re a long time Friend of Cocktails you’ll remember Gabe from the Liquid Memoir YouTube channel, where he actually helped up with a collaboration video we did with Anders Erickson a while back. He now runs an amazing bar program at Sexy Fish in Miami, but he’s also an amazing host, and together we went to Cafe La Trova, in the heart of Little Havana.
Cafe La Trova is a bar that brings to life the retro Cuba atmosphere with their artisanal, handcrafted cocktails and it has many awards to show for their masterful work. I tried a few of their house cocktails, but the one that really stood out was their blended Piña Colada. I asked them if I could share their recipe with my Friends of Cocktails and as you’ll see, they were happy to share their magic formula.
So to make it we’ll need Piña Colada Mix, a special rum blend, and two important and slightly unexpected ingredients. One is Negroni infused shredded coconut flakes. They are actually a byproduct from a Negroni variation on La Trova’s menu, where shredded coconut is cooked sous vide with Negroni ingredients, before its strained, dried, and used in this special Pina Colada. The bitterness from the flakes helps to cut the sweetness needed for a blended tropical cocktail.
As for the other ingredient, I’ll tell you more about that later on! First, I need to highlight the talented work of Wellta Boualaphanh, who also happens to be Gabriel’s wife. She’s the one who made the apron you see me use in every episode, and when I was in Miami she hooked me up with an updated black patch to add a new look to the episodes. Thanks, Wellta, and with that let’s make the Piña Colada Mix.
Homemade Piña Colada Mix
● 300mL · 10oz Pineapple Juice
● 240mL · 8oz Full-fat Coconut Cream
● 225g Sugar
● 18g Negroni Infused Coconut Flakes
● 0.3g Salt
Into a blender add all of the ingredients, and don’t worry if you don’t have enough infused coconut flakes on hand. You can replace the remaining amount with classic shredded coconut before blending on medium speed until you get a homogeneous, blended mixture. Now pour this into a bottle, add a label, and place in the fridge, so it’s ready for the Piña Colada.
You can also pair this Piña Mix with our Zero Rum for a non-alcoholic Piña Colada. But we can now move onto our rum blend. I’ll be using a combination of 5 rums, trying to get as close as possible to what they use at Cafe La Trova.
Piña Colada Rum Blend
● 150mL · 5oz Diplomatico Planas
● 150mL · 5oz Appleton Estate 8 Year Old
● 60mL · 2oz Planteray OFTD Overproof Rum
● 60mL · 2oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
● 60mL · 2oz Clement Rhum Agricole
This step is as easy as measuring the amount of each rum, mixing them, and bottling the mix. With that, we are now ready to make some Worldclass Piña Coladas. I’ll make three, since there are three of us here, and it’s always better to make a bigger batch when you’re making a blended cocktail. So grab your blender again, some nicely chilled hurricane glasses, and our secret ingredient: coffee beans!
La Trova Piña Colada
● 180mL · 6oz Rum Blend
● 360mL · 12oz Piña Colada Mix
● 540g Crushed or Pebble Ice
● 6 Coffee Beans
Just like with our Piña Mix, pour the ingredients into the blender, but this time we’re going with a low speed until you see everything is well mixed together. Keep in mind to use only crushed or pebble ice as this will be easier to blend, so there's less chances to damage the motor of your blender. But once your cocktail is properly mixed, top up your glasses with our Piña Colada, and garnish with a chunk of pineapple and a maraschino cherry. How tropical is that? Cheers!
This is a creamy, nutty, and tropical Piña Colada. While 6 coffee beans may not sound like a lot, they add a subtle, bitter backbone that cuts through the sweetness while providing a complex flavor, pairing well with the Negroni infused coconut. The rum blend we used is great too, not only providing the backbone but also harmonizing the flavors together. One thing that could really make it the best Pina Colada in the World would be if I was drinking it back at Cafe La Trova.
With that, we’ve reached the Bottom of The Glass, so let’s find out why coffee works so well in this. According to the 'Flavor Matrix' book, which you’ve seen me use before, coffee pairs well with tropical fruits, like pineapple, coconut, and banana. Additionally, according to the Flavor Database, or Flavor DB, coffee and coconut share 53 flavor molecules, while coffee and pineapple share 67. Not surprisingly, pineapple and coconut share even more, 112 flavor molecules.
I’ll see you next week, Friends of Cocktails. Cheers!