“You’ve bought piña colada??”… everytime I go shopping with Juanpi, strange things appear in the shopping cart.
I’ve never tried this cocktail myself, so a non-alcoholic variation seemed like a good way to start with. The drink consisted of pineapple juice, coconut milk (the two essential ingredients) and soy milk. We both liked it and given the obvious simplicity of preparation, I decided to make it, with a little twist, of course.

I found out that a non-alcoholic piña colada is also called piñata colada or virgin piña colada.

The initial idea was to prepare  coconut milk and pineapple juice myself. (However, I had to skip the latter procedure – 7 euros per kilo is a shameless crime, so I really didn’t have to think twice – and I bought the juice instead. Sigh.)

I could have simply bought a can of coconut milk (or cream) but I decided to prepare coconut milk by soaking the shredded coconut in hot water for half an hour, then mixing it with food processor and sieve. Some piña colada recipes call for coconut cream (contains thickening agents), some for coconut milk. You are free to choose depending on the cocktail consistency you prefer (if thicker, use the cream, if lighter, the milk). I opted for the latter. (Nevertheless, coconut cream is great to use in curries – like this one, for example.)

The preparation of coconut milk:

1. Soak 100g of shredded coconut (if you have the chance, use fresh coconut, if not the dessicated one works fine too) in 500ml of (very) hot water for half an hour.

2. Pour the coconut water into a tall pot and mix with a blender (or use food processor), then pass it through a fine sieve.

3. The obtained liquid is coconut milk. It makes a delicious alternative to milk, so why not try and use it also in desserts or with cereals for breakfast?

Note: Don’t forget to keep the coconut milk in the fridge as it can sour and spoil easily if left at room temperature – this is true for canned coconut milk, too.

The preparation of piña(ta) colada:

As this was to be a non-alcoholic variation, I obviously omitted the rum and replaced it with almond milk (well, horchata) I’d made previously. The proportions used are up to your personal liking. I used 2 parts each of coconut milk and pineapple juice and 1 part almond milk. Before serving, I chilled it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Juanpi noted the lack of pineapple character, it was the dull taste of juice that was to be blamed for. Freshly squeezed pineapple would certainly make the difference here. The overall impression was good: a refreshing beverage that instantly transfers you to summertime!