National Piña Colada Day 2021: Here’s Who Invented The Ultimate Summer Cocktail

Hailing from Puerto Rico in the '50s, the iconic piña colada is now enjoyed across the globe. On National Piña Colada Day 2021, read on to find out the origins of this summer staple.

The sweet cocktail was created by bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero in 1954 in the capital city of San Juan.

One sunny day at the Caribe Hilton Hotel, Marrero, who was the head bartender at the time, mixed a few ingredients to come up with a refreshing drink to serve to guests. Using coconut cream, pineapple juice and a little bit of rum, Marrero made what would become many people's favorite summer drink, Forbes reported.

Longtime employees shared that originally, the drink was served without alcohol and only served as an easy refreshment to quench a guest's thirst. Initially, piña colada was shaken up with crushed ice and served as a milkshake. Marrero's idea of adding rum to the drink gave rise to the piña colada people now enjoy, according to Rakija Lounge.

For the next 35 years, Marrero served his famous cocktail while bartending at the hotel.

By the time 1978 came around, the piña colada was declared the official drink of Puerto Rico. Caribe Hilton was presented with a proclamation in 2004, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the drink, signed by then-Puerto Rico Governor Sila Maria Calderon.

Celebrities who visited the island from all over the world raved about the fruity cocktail as soon as they got a taste of it. Singers Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. reportedly loved the drink, along with John Wayne and his Hollywood co-star Joan Crawford.

Due to its massive popularity, the piña colada was even featured in Rupert Holmes' hit song, "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)."

“The Piña Colada is a key part of Caribe Hilton’s iconic history. We’re proud to be known as the place the recipe first originated and want our guests to feel like they’re a part of the story," said Pablo Torres, general manager of the hotel.

He continued, "To keep them engaged, we continue to roll out new offerings related to the drink. Since the reopening, we’ve created two new recipes that showcase twists on the classic cocktail, Piña Colada French toast, and a piña colada drink at our on-site Starbucks. When guests try our Piña Colada, they know they’re in Puerto Rico.”