How Much Ice Do You Really Need For The Best Piña Coladas?

Frosty and tropical with a creamy mouthfeel, the piña colada has serious vacay vibes. But this 1950s classic, which became the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978, doesn't have to be reserved for sipping on the beach when it's so easy to whip up a batch at home. Simply toss some pineapple, coconut cream, simple syrup, and lime juice into a blender in the correct ratios. To get that distinctive refreshing texture, ice cubes are also a must, but how much do you really need? We got the lowdown from expert bartender Toby Maloney, author of The Classic Cocktail Sessions.

"DO NOT over-ice drinks in a blender," warns Maloney. "Get your ingredients cold and add only a few cubes. The more ice you add, the more sugar you will need." Why is this the case? Ice is just frozen water, so topping up your blender with more cubes will offset the ratio of the other ingredients you've so artfully balanced to create the perfect flavor combo. Much like other cocktails, piña coladas are meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly rather than downed like a shot.

Adding too much ice at the start means the beverage will dilute as it melts, resulting in a weaker taste (unless you add lots more sugar or simple syrup as a solution). The preferred move is to chill the other key ingredients and use frozen chunks of pineapple to create that thick and frosty consistency without the additional water.

You can easily purchase frozen bags of pineapple at the grocery store, but if you want to freeze your own fruit, always cut it into pieces and spread the segments out over a sheet tray before freezing. This technique allows the pineapple to freeze in single chunks without sticking together in an unwieldy clump.

To make his piña colada, Maloney adds 2.5 ounces of aged or Jamaican rum to a blender along with 1 ounce of creme of coconut, 1 ounce of lime juice, 1 ounce of simple syrup, and 3-4 chunks of frozen pineapple. Then he adds only two regular-sized ice cubes and blends everything together until smooth. Finally, he pours in 3 dashes of Angostura bitters on top for some tropical aromatics before garnishing with a parasol.

Instead of using simple syrup, this ultimate piña colada recipe features pineapple gomme, which is made with cold pressed pineapple blended with cane sugar and gum arabic, to elevate its fruity flavor further. If you want to make it extra cold and don't mind a more diluted flavor, you can serve it over more crushed ice. Alternatively, use a large spherical ice cube, which can melt up to 40% slower than its square counterpart.