Piña Colada Origin Story: This Puerto Rican Hotel Claims the Iconic Drink

If you like Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain… then you’ll probably want to know where this iconic frozen drink actually comes from. Spoiler: it wasn’t Rupert Holmes dreaming up cocktail recipes when he wrote that catchy song, “Escape.” The Piña Colada has a real (and delicious) origin story, starting in Puerto Rico, specifically in San Juan. Now, like any good origin story, there are three sides to it: the accepted lore (popularized in pop culture), the origin claimers, and the truth. It’s almost impossible to trace and confirm origin stories but the Caribe Hilton Hotel, located in San Juan, proudly claims to be the birth place of the iconic drink. The Piña Colada has been Puerto Rico’s official national drink since 1978, just a year before Rupert Holmes released his now-infamous ode to coconutty love affairs. The drink is still one of the island’s most beloved cocktails by locals and tourists alike and has achieved global popularity. So how did this delicious mix of rum, coconut, and pineapple come about?

As the story goes, the cocktail was created in 1954 by bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton, the beloved resort once frequented by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and more recently, Barack Obama. A young Rita Moreno is also spotted in the notable photos featured at the hotel lobby. The Caribar, originally called the Beachcomber, was a staple since Monchito’s days and to this day serves his original recipe which includes white rum, coconut cream, heavy cream, fresh pineapple juice, and crushed ice.

Since blenders weren’t yet common, the drink was originally shaken—not blended—and served poolside to glowing reviews for over 35 years. In 2004, the Caribe Hilton received an official government declaration from then-Governor Sila María Calderón, in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the iconic drink. A little over 20 years after Monchito’s Piña Colada came to be, it was officially declared the national drink of Puerto Rico in 1978.

In addition to the original drink, they serve up modern variations of it such as the Espuma Colada, shaken with Don Q, pineapple syrup and walnut bitters; the Sparkling Colada which is stirred with sparkling wine and makes for a tasty brunch drink; and the Pinold Colashioned, a take on an old fashioned served with a burnt orange peel and cinnamon stick, over a coconut ice sphere. 

And regarding the island legends… there are a few other origin stories in the mix. Some say a Puerto Rican pirate was the first to mix a similar concoction in the 1800s, while others point to Barrachina, a cozy restaurant in Old San Juan, where a version of the drink was reportedly created in 1963. Fact-checking legends is tricky business. But let’s be real: if you’re going to toast to the Piña Colada’s legacy, it might as well be at the place with the oceanfront view.