The Best Piña Colada Recipe

You're 4 ingredients closer to a slice of tropical paradise all in one delicious sip. This is the only piña colada recipe you need for perfect poolside relaxation.

Well, as close as I am going to get to tropical paradise until I rack up some more Delta miles to splurge on a girls weekend. ;D

First, for those who haven't tried this sweet cocktail...

What does a piña colada even taste like?

This one's easy - Pina Coladas taste like the best pineapple smoothie you have ever had. Simply put, they are sweet from the pineapple juice and creamy from the cream of coconut or coconut milk. Combine that with a bit of zest from the rum and the slushy texture from the ice and it's pretty much the most basic and best tropical combination ever.

I love them because they are simple and fun to make - all you need is a blender and you can prep batches ahead of time so that you aren't bartending all night long. Bonus! You actually get to enjoy your poolside party!

Want to blow someone's mind? make a Pina colada with frozen mango or papaya next time to really incorporate those tropical flavors. Sure, it technically wouldn't be a piña colada any more, but if you have a friend who questions that, move on. You need new friends who don't question free drinks.

How to make this simple piña colada

The morning before your cocktail party - or at least 3 hours before - grab your pineapple juice, coconut milk, and rum and toss them all in a blender with ice.

Blend until smooth and then toss batches, and I love using big mason jars for this, into the freezer to solidify. I set a timer to remind myself to rotate the mason jar every 30 minutes (and I like to pretend I am an artificial slushy machine while doing it) to make sure the cocktail is getting that perfect consistency all over.

When ready to serve, I pull out one mason jar at a time (or a few for that first few minutes when everyone walks in) and set up a bar cart with garnishes and glasses for everyone to grab. I have more tips for setting up a bar station on this New Years eve theme post - ignore the 12 o'clock ring in and all the same tips still apply.

Don't have a bar cart? Check out this cheap Ikea hack version I made for my apartment.

What to serve with your Piña coladas.

When I think Pina Colada - I think poolside afternoon. And here's exactly what goes great for crafting that menu. Keep it simple with these easy grilled shrimp over greens, along with this summertime avocado salad. Have these bacon wrapped brats smoking ahead of time so guests can grab and go. And if you're really feeling inspired, whip up this coconut tres leches cake OR bring the tart flavor to the center of attention with this lemon pie to have as dessert.

Need more frozen cocktail inspiration? Check out some of my favorite frozen summer drinks:

• Frozen Rum Runner
• Fresh Pineapple Margarita
• Frozen Strawberry Gin and Tonics
• Spike Mexican Chocolate Milkshakes

If you’ve tried this best pina colada recipe or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram @passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.