by Linda Coffman
The Tropical Taste of
Puerto Rico
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Light
and creamy—just add an umbrella
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When your ship's horn signals it's departure
time, it's also time for one of the highlights of every cruise—a festive sailaway
deck party. Laden with trays of
exotic bon voyage “umbrella”
drinks, bar servers make their way through throngs of cheerful
passengers anxious to toast the beginning of their cruise. Without a doubt, the most popular
of those tempting bon voyage beverages is the Piña Colada.
Did you ever wonder who
served up the very first Piña Colada? I did, so I went to the source—the
Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to Maria Elena
Pérez, the Piña
Colada was introduced there on August 15, 1954 by its creator Ramon “Monchito” Marrero.
As a newly hired bartender, Monchito set out to
make a
drink with “a touch of zest” for Caribe Hilton guests, who sometimes suffered the
after effects of too many strong cocktails. However, it was never meant to be
a hangover remedy. Instead, he set out to create a light drink, reflective of
the tropical tastes of Puerto Rico. He spent the better part of three months
mixing, tasting, and discarding hundreds of
combinations until he felt he had the perfect blend. And on that that day, the
Piña Colada was born.
Translated, Piña Colada
means “strained pineapple” and Monchito stressed that the pineapple should
be fresh from the field that morning because only Puerto Rican farmers know
the secret to “slicing out the best juice.” His world-famous drink was
designed to incorporate the warmth and flavors of Puerto Rico in a smooth and
creamy concoction.
Coco López, the
maker of the coconut cream most often used in the drink, marked the selling of the three millionth Piña
Colada in 1978 by presenting a color
television set to Monchito. On the
same day, he was honored with a party and awarded a medal by the Caribe Hilton, while
the government of Puerto Rico declared the Piña Colada the “national drink
of Puerto Rico.” Monchito was invited to Holland to be named an
honorary member of the Netherlands Bartenders Club in 1986. A plaque
commemorating his achievement is displayed at the tourist information center
in San Juan.
Monchito Marrero is no longer with us,
but he is still a celebrity in his own right and his legacy lives on in the
form of his flavorful handiwork. Internationally, it is estimated that more than 200 million Piña Coladas have been served since 1954
when Monchito officially mixed the first one in what was then the Caribe Hilton's
Beachcombers Bar.
You can enjoy the same drink Monchito created
and personally served to Caribe Hilton guests, including such luminaries such as Gloria
Swanson, Elizabeth Taylor, and John Wayne. The original Piña
Colada recipe is:
Pour rum, coconut cream,
cream, and pineapple juice in blender. Add ice. Blend for 15 seconds. Pour
into a 12-ounce glass. Add garnishes.
For those who prefer a tasty non-alcoholic
Virgin Colada, just leave out the rum.
Whether it's the original recipe, a variation
containing other flavors, or a Virgin-version, the Piña Colada is a perennial
favorite with cruise passengers world wide.
Caribe
Hilton -- Relax with a Piña Colada during a pre- or post-cruise visit
to Puerto Rico.
Source: Maria Elena
Pérez, Caribe Hilton Public Relations, San Juan, Puerto Rico
