Faith's Piña Colada
recipe from the Coco Lopez can

Two Puerto Rican bartenders contest the ownership of their national drink. Ramón 'Monchito' Marrero Pérez claims to have first made it at the Caribe Hilton Hotel's Beachcomber Bar in San Juan in 1954, using the then newly-available Coco López cream of coconut. Coco lópez was developed in Puerto Rico in 1948 by Don Ramón López-Irizarry, hence the Puerto Rican connection and the 1952 account of the drink's creation. Some say the drink did not acquire its name until the 1960s. Ramón Portas Mingot also says he created it in 1963 at the Barrachina Restaurant, 104 Fortaleza Street, Old San Juan. Ramon mixed pineapple juice, coconut cream, condensed milk and ice in a blender, creating a delicious and refreshing drink, known today as the Piña Colada.

Note if making these for a party: 1 15-oz. can cream of coconut equals 1 1/4 cup, enough for 2 1/2 recipes. One 46-oz. can of pineapple juice is about 5 cups, enough for 5 recipes. So, two cans of cream of coconut and one can of pineapple juice will make 5 recipes - about 20 servings.

One 750ml (fifth - fifth of a gallon) of rum is equal to 3.17 cups which will make 4 recipes - 16 servings; 1.75L bottle (handle) is equal to 7.4 cups, enough for almost 10 recipes - 40 servings.

1/2 c. canned cream of coconut (Coco Lopez, for one) or Homemade Cream of Coconut
1 c. pineapple juice
3/4 c. rum (4 1.5 oz. shots)
3 c. ice
Pineapple slices in wedges
Maraschino cherries
Straw

Place all ingredients except the pineapple slices and the cherries in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into stemmed glasses and garnish with a pineapple slice, a cherry and a straw.

4 servings

Single serving:

1/8 cup canned cream of coconut
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 1.5-oz shots of rum
3/4 cup ice