Salud! The MOTH: Piña Colada has joined the party. Cheerful in disposition and distinctive in taste, this one is full of origin stories. One even harks back to legends of the rebellious Puerto Rican pirate captain Roberto Confresi, who apparently boosted a flagging crew’s morale with a pineapple, white rum and coconut concoction sometime in the early 1800s. Perhaps the original recipe fell overboard and into the warm blue Caribbean?
Another is that of the suave and smiley Ramón "Monchito" Marrero. As a dickie-bowed bartender at the Caribe Hilton Hotel, Marrero whipped up a Piña Colada in 1954 after three months of perfecting it to capture the ‘true nature and essence of Puerto Rico’. It was declared Puerto Rico’s national drink in 1978 – and we reckon the Hilton heritage might be where this classic gets its swanky side from.
Like all MOTHs, our Piña Colada has a spin. It’s light on its feet, full of coconut air and far from the classic creamy, heavy serve. With Duppy Share Rum as its hero ingredient, expect unparalleled island spirit carried by notes of tropical fruit, sugarcane and botanicals. Because you can take the drink out of the beach – but you can’t take the beach out of the drink.
MOTH LATEST
SAY HOLA TO THE PIÑA COLADA
NOV 2, 2022
TELL ME MORE
IT’S SILKY-SWEET AND SWANKY. THINK PINK SKIES IN PUERTO RICO. CHEEKY WITH A CHERRY ON TOP. IT’S SINGING THAT SONG FROM 1979 – IF YOU LIKE?
ZESTY, DANCY AND A LITTLE BIT FANCY. WEARS A SEQUN BERET. PAIRS WITH A PLATTER. CAN KEEP A SECRET
HOW TO SERVE
The icier the tastier. This one’s lush from the can – and even more lush from a coconut. Want to take it to its limits? Vamos! Pour it into a highball glass and place a pineapple leaf on top (because we all have one of those hanging around the house, don’t we?). Now hold it tight and move to the music. Or if you’re looking to the MOTH: Piña Colada to enjoy with something else delicious, look no further than the next paragraph.
Now the trick for pairing a MOTH: Piña Colada is to balance out its sweetness. Like when you introduce your introverted mate to your extraverted mate and all of a sudden it weirdly and wonderfully pops off. So plates of juicy jerked chicken or seasoned spicy shrimp, tuna or tofu is a great call. Another shout is to praise the pineapple fruitiness and coconut softness with fruity, aromatic dishes. Thai curries are the one. And then there’s ginger to really resonate with the rum – a sticky stir fry for a low-key evening would be a winner. As would a syrupy ginger loaf for all the sweet tooths out there.
WHY WE LOVE IT
Oh, it’s just so loveable. Whether it's lazing on the beach. Wearing an umbrella. Or having a sing-song – you know the one. It serves up sunshine whatever the weather; a true glass half-full kind of drink. And it throws silly shapes just about anywhere. Unpredictable? Yes. Boring? Never. Tap into the energy with our Piña Colada mix below. This one’s got a sense of humour to brighten up an Autumn gathering. Or to help you let off some steam in your PJs and frolic around your lounge like you’re in San Juan.
