Caribbean Colada
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.2% ABV ∙
The Caribbean Colada shakes white and Caribbean aged rum with pineapple liqueur, coconut and passion fruit syrups and orange juice over crushed ice. Crushed ice delivers a frosty, slushy sip with a silky, tropical-fruited body and a warm rum finish that lingers pleasantly on the tongue.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 30 mlCaribbean aged rum 30 mlPineapple liqueur 30 mlCoconut syrup 5 mlPassion fruit syrup 5 mlOrange juice 30 ml
- Strain into the glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry and a cocktail umbrella
Tips
- Shake hard and long enough to fully chill six liquid components before straining — a short shake leaves it thin and under-diluted.
- Measure the coconut and passion fruit syrups precisely — both are concentrated and easily overpower the rum and juice.
History
The Caribbean Colada was developed as a promotional recipe for Giffard's Caribbean Pineapple liqueur, launched in June 2016; the modern build built around that liqueur alongside coconut syrup and a mix of white and aged rums has since been adapted and served under the same name by various bars and drink guides. It belongs to the wider Colada family that descends from the Piña Colada, Puerto Rico's national drink, generally credited to bartender Ramón "Monchito" Marrero at the Caribe Hilton's Beachcomber Bar in San Juan in 1954, though a rival claim from Barrachina restaurant and other accounts mean its exact origin is disputed. The Caribbean Colada sets itself apart from that original by replacing the traditional coconut cream and plain pineapple juice with a pineapple liqueur and flavored syrups, layering in extra tropical notes such as passion fruit.
FAQ
What is in a Caribbean Colada?
White rum, Caribbean aged rum, pineapple liqueur, coconut syrup, passion fruit syrup, and fresh orange juice, shaken with ice and strained into a hurricane glass over crushed ice. It's garnished with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry, and a cocktail umbrella.
How do you make a Caribbean Colada?
Pre-chill the glass, then shake the white rum, aged rum, pineapple liqueur, coconut syrup, passion fruit syrup, and orange juice hard with ice. Strain into the glass over crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge, a maraschino cherry, and a cocktail umbrella.
What are the four ingredients in a Piña Colada?
A classic Piña Colada is rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream or coconut milk, sometimes counted as four with ice blended in. The Caribbean Colada is a different, richer build: it pairs two rums with pineapple liqueur, coconut syrup, passion fruit syrup, and orange juice rather than the traditional three-part mix.
What goes into a Painkiller?
A Painkiller is dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut, shaken and served over crushed ice with grated nutmeg. It shares the rum, pineapple, and orange juice idea with the Caribbean Colada but skips the passion fruit and pineapple liqueur used here.
