You Can Swap Vodka For Rum In A Pina Colada
Is it possible to make a pia colada with vodka instead of rum? When replacing rum in a pi*a colada, a good vodka drink has a distinct flavor and is less sweet than rum. To achieve the desired sweetness, add a splash of simple syrup or pineapple juice to the classic homemade Pina Colada Mix recipe. A tequila-based cocktail, such as a tequila Pina Colada, adds a burst of rich, tropical flavor with the pineapple and coconut while also eliminating the tequila element. Return it to the classic, and keep the same quantity.
What Kind Of Coconut Milk To Use
For the coconut milk, you want to use the kind in the can. It has a creamy thickness to it that coconut milk in a carton just cant match. Its also super easy to find, so you dont have to go searching everywhere for cream of coconut.
If youre wondering about substitutions, you can make the drink with a few other options but a can of coconut milk is best. If youre near a Trader Joes, we like their organic coconut cream in a can.
You can use coconut milk in the carton, if you need to. It doesnt have the creaminess of the canned version, though so it will alter the taste. If you do make this substitution, also add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to give it that richness.
If you like your Pina Colada to be a bit chunky, you can use fresh pineapple instead of juice. Itll be a smoother blend with juice.
If you have leftover pineapple or pineapple juice, you should definitely use it to make these Pineapple Rum Runners or these Pineapple Rum Slushes. So good!
Best Caribbean: Cruzan Estate Diamond Dark Rum
Courtesy of Drizly
Region: Virgin Islands | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Vanilla, Banana
According to Timmie Hoffman of SALT7 in Florida, this should be your go-to rum when making a Piña Colada. I just think it pairs so well with the heavy coconut cream and fruit flavors. I think the Cruzan Diamond Dark Rum makes a traditional Piña Colada more intriguing and bright.
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Can Dark Rum Be Used In Pia Colada
Yes, dark rum can definitely be used in a Piña Colada. Dark rum gives a Piña Colada a more depth of flavor compared to using light rum. As with any cocktail, the key is finding the right balance to suit your personal tastes.
When using dark rum, it is best to use a smaller quantity than when using light rum, as the dark rum has stronger flavors. For example, you could start by using an ounce of dark rum and an ounce of light rum, and then adjust the ratio to your liking.
The dark rum can also be used in the form of churned dark rum, which adds an extra layer of spiciness and complexity to the drink, depending on the type used. Finally, a flavorful flavored dark rum or spiced rum could be used as well, providing a unique and delicious Piña Colada that stands out from the classic recipe.
What Is The Best Pia Colada Mix
While we dont have one single brand to recommend, the more expensive option is almost always better when buying cocktail mixes. Note that most piña colada mixes contain dairy, even though the original recipe does not, in case thats a concern. Regardless, because a piña colada has just three ingredients, it truly isnt worth your time or money to buy a mix. If youre understandably concerned about splurging on ingredients, you can save money by buying mini liquor bottles instead of a pricey handle of rum. While you might not get higher-shelf rums in this size, the added cost benefit can justify buying the cream of coconut and pineapple, which are likely to cost less than a mix anyway.
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Why Is My Pia Colada Watery
If your piña colada is watery, it is likely because you have blended the drink for too long. When blending a piña colada, you should only blend the ingredients for a short period of time in order to avoid making the drink too thin and runny. If you do not blend the drink for long enough, you may be left with chunks of ice in your drink.
Coconut Cream Is The Key
While some drinks substitute coconut milk and sugar syrup for it, coconut cream is the gold standard and key ingredient for a delicious Piña Colada experience. Our recipe is with coconut cream, which is coconut milk boiled with sugar, says Lopez. It gives it a good consistency, especially for a frozen drink, and you want it to be thick and creamy.
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Is Cream Of Coconut Or Coconut Milk Better For A Pia Colada
Cream of coconut is the be opitmal choice. Its thicker and contributes to the texture of the frozen drink. Coconut milk is thinner and will not thicken the cocktail. The cream of coconut will also give a richer flavor to the drink.
Coconut milk is less sweet and has a much less intense flavor. A piña colada must have a rich coconut flavor.
What Kind Of Rum For Pina Coladas
The sweet flavors of coconut and pineapple need a light rum. A spiced rum would completely change the flavor of a Pina Colada. A dark rum adds another sweetness to the cocktail, typically with hints of caramel flavors. Its a bit much for an already sweet drink.
With that said a dark rum floater is pretty common for a Pina Colada drink served in a bar. Most of the time, your bartender will ask if you want a floater whenever you order one.
If youre inclined to go for that extra rum kick, I personally suggest either a lightly sweet darker rum such as Bacardi 8 or go for the exotic tasting Cruzan Blackstrap Rum with a hint of molasses flavor which goes well with the Pina Colada.
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Pina Colada With Coconut Milk
No cream of coconut? No problem. You can make a Pina colada with coconut milk. This simple take on the classic tropical cocktail is made without a blender and served on the rocks, but its just as creamy and delicious as the classic. Garnish with fresh whipped cream and a maraschino cherry to serve.
Best White: Plantation 3 Stars
Courtesy of Drizly
Region: Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad | ABV: 41.2% | Tasting Notes: Biscuit, Chocolate, Root Beer
An all-around workhorse rum, it has nice depth and weight that can stand up well in this rich but delicious classic, says Jon Feuersanger, bar manager at Death & Co Denver.
This rum is a blend distilled in Trinidad , Jamaica , and Barbados , with just a touch of older Jamaican rum added to the mix for flavor. This is a full-bodied rum that will augment this drink.
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What Rum Is Top Shelf
There are a variety of rums that could be considered top shelf, as the term is somewhat subjective. However, some rums that might typically be considered top shelf include SelvaRey Chocolate Rum, Chairmans Reserve The Forgotten Casks Rum, Kirk and Sweeney 23 Year Rum, Bacardí Oakheart Spiced Rum, Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Rum, Balcones Rumble, Appleton Estate 21 Year Limited Edition, and Ron Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum. These rums are all highly rated by experts and enthusiasts alike, and offer a unique and enjoyable experience.
Big Batch Pina Colada Recipe Directions:
- Stir together well in a large pitcher
- Add 1 cup of this mixture to 2 cups of crushed ice and blend, adding ice a little at a time until you like the consistency.
- Makes approximately 10-12 drinks
- 1 shot of dark rum on top for a floater.
- Whipped cream on top
- Pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry for garnish.
- Buy a real pineapple or coconut and core it out. Freeze the pineapple or coconut shell to use as a cold glass for your drink!
Cheers to a creamy Pina Colada!
Scroll down for a printable recipe.
Save it for later and Pin it!
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Ingredients In Pia Colada
- Frozen Pineapple Chunks For the absolute best results, chop and freeze your own fresh pineapple. It adds fresh, sweet, and natural juicy pineapple flavor. Freezing the pineapple also cuts down on the amount of ice youll need, that way the drink wont be as diluted.
- Cream of Coconut Make sure youre using cream of coconut, not coconut milk or coconut cream. Its sweet and meant for frozen cocktails. My favorite brand of cream of coconut to use is Coco Lopez or Goya!
- White Rum White rum, like Bacardi, is always a good choice when blending Piña Coladas. To make things even more authentic, though, use Puerto Rican aged rum, like Don Q, for spicier and more flavorful results.
- Dark Rum Dark rum is just used in this recipe as a floater, which is entirely optional. I highly recommend it, though! It perfectly balances out the white rum and adds a little bit of spice to an otherwise sweet drink.
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The Secret Ingredient Is Heavy Cream
According to Beachbum Berrys Potions of the Caribbean, the original recipe for the Piña Colada called for a measure of double cream. Essentially heavy cream, the ingredient is often disregarded or altogether forgotten. It thickens up even more, says McCoy. Heavy cream makes it smoother and more like a milkshake. After experimenting with making a Piña Colada with cream , we noticed it got rid of that granular, sandy texture from the blended ice.
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The Best Rum To Use In A Pia Colada
What is the best rum for a pia colada? Chris Gaspar describes Bacardi A*ejo Cuatro as an excellent stand-out due to its light oak flavor that provides alcohol sweetness. Those who want to make pia coladas with a lot of complexity cant go wrong with rum. The best way to make a pia colada is to combine coconut cream or coconut milk. Coconut milk is much less sweet and less intense in flavor than coconut cream, which is rich and creamy. This results in a more flavorful and enjoyable beverage. Pour the ice, frozen pineapple, juice, coconut cream, and white and dark rum into a blender to make a pia colada. After youve blended it, frost it. The drink should be served in two glasses with pineapple slices on the rim.
Best Budget: Myerss Rum
Courtesy of Drizly
Region: Jamaica | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Raisin, Fig, Chocolate
gives a bigger, bolder flavor than a typical white rum, says Ashley Elias, of the Disneyland resort company in Garden Grove, CA. It has a better taste, it makes the drink less sweet. The rum is aged for up to four years in oak barrels, and distilled in pot stills from molasses in Jamaica.
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Best Pineapple: Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum
Courtesy of Drizly
Region: Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Pineapple, Apple, Oak
There isnt a better rum out there for mixing up a few Piña Coladas and soaking in the sun, says Nicholas Wyatt, a bartender in Montgomery, AL. The rich rum rounds out the sweetness of the cocktail, while the extra touch of pineapple adds to its brightness. But, make no mistake, this is very different from the pineapple rums you are used to. Plantations outstanding silver and dark rums are blended together and infused with both pineapple rinds and flesh. Its the real deal.
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Why We Love This Pina Colada With Coconut Milk
- We dont normally have cream of coconut in our pantry, but since were a dairy free family, we always have coconut milk.
- To make a pina colada without coconut milk, you just need to add the sugar you need to regular canned coconut milk.
- This creamy cocktail might not be quite as sweet as a traditional piña colada, but its still sweet and delicious.
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Faqs About The Pina Colada
Should a piña colada be shaken?
A pina colada can absolutely be shaken. There is no need to blend this famous summer drink, and you will love it on the rocks!
What rum is best in pina colada?
You can use whatever rum you have on hand, though spiced rum will bring a little too much flavor and over power the drink. Pina coladas are traditionally made with a light rum, but we used a dark rum for this recipe and it was delicious.
What Is The Difference Between Rum And Spiced Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The majority of the world& rsquor s rum production occurs in the Caribbean and Latin America. Rum is also produced in Scotland, Austria, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Reunion Island, Mauritius, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.Spiced rum is a type of rum that has been flavored with spices. The most common spices used to flavor spiced rum are vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom.
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About Dos Maderas 5+3 Rum
Dos Maderas 5+3 Rum blends the lighter Baja Rum with the richer Guyana style and ages for 5 years in the Caribbean followed by 3 years in Jerez, Spain in Palo Cortado casks. The smooth character of the 5+3 is awash with pleasant vanilla, hazelnut, coconut and subtle maple. It adds a rich finesse to your cocktail for those of us who enjoy the reminder that the Piña Coladais indeed an adult beverage.
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How To Make A Pina Colada With Coconut Milk
Stir the cocktail. Fill a cocktail with ice. Add rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and simple syrup to your glass and stir with a cocktail spoon until chilled.
Garnish and serve. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a pineapple leaf and a cherry.
Want to make a pitcher? Combine 1 cup of rum, 1 3/4 cups pineapple juice, 1 1/4 cups coconut milk, and 1/2 cup simple syrup in a large glass pitcher. Stir to combine and add ice to chill before serving.
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Can You Use Any Rum For Pia Colada
No, you cannot use any rum for Piña Colada. The Superior Silver and Gold rums from Barcardi are ideal for the pina colada recipe, and you can experiment with it if you want to. To enhance the pineapple flavor, use rum that has been flavored with pineapple. To amp up the coconut flavor, try a rum that has been flavored with coconut.
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Classic Homemade Pina Colada Recipe
A homemade pina colada recipe like the one below is a classic summer cocktail. You can use any type of rum , but Ive found spiced or white rum complements the creaminess more than dark rum.
Make your mix fresh and serve immediately, or stick it into the freezer for 30 minutes to one hour to craft a handy frozen pina colada .
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Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum
Flavor isnt the only thing that can distinguish one rum from another the alcohol content of various rums can vary significantly as well. The term overproof denotes a rum thats at least 50% alcohol by volume . This term is also sometimes referred to as navy strength, but either way, it means the bottle is particularly intoxicating.
Not only does Wray & Nephew come in at a hefty 63% ABV, but its also un-aged, so the rum has never been put inside a barrel. This means that its powerful in both potency and flavor. Its funkier than many white rums, with notes of pineapple, brown sugar, and overripe banana that are easy to detect.
Since it packs such a punch, a little goes a long way. That being said, it works well for piña coladas with a split base, or as a floater to add depth of flavor and a little extra kick.
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Are Spiced Pia Coladas Easy To Make
Very easy, especially if youve made frozen blender drinks in the past. Its really about balance between ingredients and the amount of ice you use in making the drink. The ratio of the amount of ingredients to the amount of ice is crucial. You dont want a gritty drink. More about that in a minute.
Remember, you can always add more ice if necessary, or more liquid. Take it slow when making the drink. Youll be able to tell when the ratio is spot on.
When making your cocktails, use the smallest ice cubes possible. If you can, crush your ice before adding it to the blender. This will help avoid a gritty, small ice ball texture in the drink. An extra step, I know, but well worth it for a smooth beverage.
The same could be said about making milkshakes too. For those its a milk and ice cream balance.
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