Piña Colada Recipe
Havana Especial Rum, Blended with Homemade Spiced Pineapple and Toasted Coconut Syrups with a Splash of Lime
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Spiced Pineapple Syrup (homemade)
Toasted Coconut Syrup (homemade)
Method
Spiced Pineapple Syrup (homemade)
Cook pineapple and sugar
Combine the chopped pineapple, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until pineapple is softened and liquid is fragrant.
Add spices and reduce
Stir in lime zest, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. Continue simmering 2–3 minutes to bloom the spices. Remove from heat and let cool slightly for 5 minutes.
Strain and finish
Carefully strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard solids. Stir in 1/2 oz fresh lime juice. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Yield: about 3/4 to 1 cup syrup.
Toasted Coconut Syrup (homemade)
Toast coconut
Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the shredded coconut and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown and fragrant, 3–5 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.
Make simple syrup with toasted coconut
In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the toasted coconut to the syrup, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently 5 minutes to infuse flavor.
Strain and finish
Remove from heat and let cool 5–10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on coconut to extract flavors. Stir in 1/4 tsp vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Cool and refrigerate. Yield: about 1/2 cup syrup.
Cocktail
Assemble and blend
Add 2 oz Havana Especial rum, 3 oz fresh pineapple juice, 1.5 oz coconut cream, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5–0.75 oz spiced pineapple syrup, and 0.5 oz toasted coconut syrup to a blender. Add about 1 cup crushed ice. Blend on high until smooth and slushy, about 10–15 seconds. Taste and adjust: add up to 0.25 oz more spiced syrup for sweetness or more coconut syrup for coconut intensity.
Notes
The recipe yields a cocktail with layered spiced pineapple and toasted coconut notes. Both syrups keep refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 7 days. If you prefer a lighter texture, substitute 1/2 cup ice and shake vigorously with ice in a shaker, then double-strain into the glass over fresh crushed ice.