Some pretty decent recipes can be found on the backs of boxes, bottles, cans and other packaging—shout out to Nestle Tollhouse cookies—and the piña colada recipe that’s printed on cans La Preferida cream of coconut is a good example of the genre.
Frankly, it’s surprising we haven’t talked about piña coladas before, as all you need is cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and rum. You can blend it, of course, but it’s only worth it if you have a high-power blender with the strength to pulverize a bunch of ice, especially when you consider that this cocktail is pretty delightful when shaken. Cream of coconut, however, does take a little emulsifying (the fat separates out) but that’s easily accomplished with an immersion blender.
Though the recipe on the can makes a perfectly fine piña colada, it was a little sweet for my taste, so I decreased the cream by a quarter ounce and upped the rum by the same amount. This made for a boozier, but still delightfully creamy and tropical cocktail. To make one yourself, you will need:
1 3/4 ounces rum
2 ounces pineapple juice
3/4 ounce cream of coconut (Not coconut cream! La Preferida is good, as is Coco Lopez)
Before measuring out anything, pour the can of cream of coconut into a large glass and emulsify with an immersion blender. Measure and add all ingredients to a shaker full of ice and shake violently until the shaker becomes too cold to comfortably hold. Strain into a lowball over whatever ice you like, garnish with pineapple if desired, and enjoy.
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