Piña Colada with a Twist: 7 Recipes to Try at Home

Try the San Juan Water Beach Club’s Legacy

Two years ago, mixologist Iván Reyes from the San Juan Water Beach Club Hotel created a rum-based cocktail that fused two of his favorite drinks: the Old Fashioned and the piña colada. He combined elements from each cocktail in a unique way, naming his new creation Legacía: My Piña Colada. Are you ready to step up your cocktail game?

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce of Coconut Ciroc (coconut vodka)
• 2 dashes of cherry bitters 
• 1 ½ ounces of Zacapa 23 Rum
• Coconut cream
• Pineapple juice

Instructions:

Combine coconut cream and pineapple juice and pour the mix into a sphere-shaped ice mold. Freeze for 2-3 hours. When ready to serve, mix the coconut vodka, aged rum, and cherry bitters in a tall glass. Add regular ice and stir for a few seconds. Set the frozen coconut and pineapple juice sphere in an Old-Fashioned glass and pour the rum and vodka mix over it. Sip slowly, as the sphere melts the flavors evolve from the spirit-forward Old Fashioned to the more tropical piña colada. For added texture, top the cocktail off with some pineapple foam and grated coconut.

Upside-down at the Vanderbilt

The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel's 1919 restaurant’s pastry chef Nasha Fondeur designed her own take on the traditional pineapple upside down cake inspired by the piña colada. Dare to bake it?

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces of sugar
• 8 ounces of flour
• .5 ounces of baking powder
• 4 ounces of cornmeal 
• Pinch of salt 
• ½ cup of eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• Pineapple chunks
• Caramel

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry and wet ingredients (minus the caramel and pineapple pieces) separately, and then combine to form the batter. In a round cake pan, prepare a caramel base (like one would prepare for a flan) and place the pineapple chunks in a single layer. The batter is then poured on top. Bake the cake for 35 minutes or until dark golden-brown and a cake tester comes out clean. The small cake is then turned over and served hot, with a spiced pineapple caramel sauce, caramel popcorn, and a side of coconut sorbet or ice cream.

Piña Colada Crème Brulee

Pastry chef Christian Cádez's piña colada creme brulee is an explosion of textures and flavors in every bite. The dessert’s delicacy and richness will make you fall in love on the first taste. This simple, yet memorable dish fuses French and Puerto Rican cuisine for a well-balanced, tangy treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 7 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 6 ounces of coconut cream
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon pineapple emulsion
• 1 tablespoon coconut emulsion

Instructions:

In medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, coconut cream, vanilla extract, and both emulsions over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly. Then, in a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar. Vigorously whisk about 2 cups of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture (do it rapidly to avoid lumps). Slowly pour this mixture into the hot cream in the saucepan, whisk for 2 minutes, and remove from the heat. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container. 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and fill greased ceramic or aluminum ramekins with equal portions of the mixture (fill each about halfway). Place the cups in a baking dish and fill with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 45 minutes or until it sets. Remove from the oven and remove the ramekins from the water. Let them cool and refrigerate overnight. 

To finish, sprinkle each creme brulee with a teaspoon of sugar. Using a kitchen blowtorch, scorch the sugar until it crystallizes, do one cup at a time. Serve immediately.