The 8 Best Piña Colada Mixes of 2023

What to Look for When Buying Piña Colada Mix

Ingredients

The piña colada has just three basic ingredients: rum, coconut, and pineapple. Most mixes don't include the alcohol, so it's the acidic fruitiness of pineapple and the rich creaminess of pineapple that they need to capture. Many also include sweeteners, lime juice, or spices to formulate their own unique flavor. Some mixes add preservatives to be shelf-stable, and you might also find stabilizers and gums to help with creamy texture. Cheaper versions might even eschew real pineapple and coconut altogether in favor of artificial flavorings. It's always a good idea to check the label before you buy, especially if you're trying to avoid specific ingredients or allergens. In general, a shorter list of ingredients should mean fresher flavor, but every brand is a little bit different.

Package Size

If you are planning on having a drink or two yourself with one other person, single-serving cans or smaller bottles work well. For multiple people, grab a larger bottle to mix up a big batch in the blender. Keep in mind, however, that some brands are more concentrated than others: A single drink might call for 4 ounces of mix, or it might only need an ounce or two. It makes the most sense to think of the size in terms of number of servings the mix can make rather than the number of ounces in the bottle.

Storage

Most piña colada mixes are shelf-stable before opening and can last for months or years at room temperature. But after you open the package, you should re-seal it and store the remaining mix in the refrigerator. It might be good in the fridge for just a few days or up to a few months; read your brand's label for the rules. Many mixes for frozen piña coladas can even live in the freezer so they're always slushy and ready to go; check the label for how long they can stay frozen. No matter what the directions say, if your mix gets moldy, changes color dramatically, or starts to smell bad, you should throw it out to be safe.

FAQs

How do you make a piña colada with piña colada mix?

It's pretty simple: You add rum and ice, in whatever ratio of mix to rum to ice your brand recommends. Don't forget the garnish, either! Lime wedges, orange slices, and cocktail cherries are all traditional choices, and a cocktail umbrella never hurts to add some tropical atmosphere. Once you've got the basics down, you can start tweaking the recipe; maybe you'd like a little extra acidity with a splash of fresh lime juice, or a little less mix for a drink that's not quite so thick and creamy. You can also use aged rum in place of white, or different spirits like vodka or tequila. You can try wine in place of rum, too—a dry white will work best—or you can make a non-alcoholic piña colada by adding juice or water in place of booze.

How do you make frozen piña coladas with piña colada mix?

Just grab a blender and follow the package directions. Measure out mix, rum, and the recommended amount of ice, then blend until it's your preferred chunky or smooth consistency. Blending creates heat, though, so don't run the machine too long or you'll melt the ice and just get a heavily diluted drink. If the directions don't specify how much ice to use for a frozen piña colada, use about 2 cups per cocktail.

What's the best rum for a piña colada?

That depends on your taste. The original recipe from the Caribe Hilton calls for Bacardi Gold, a lightly aged rum with lots of sweetness and caramel notes to match the sugary drink. Many bartenders use unaged white rum for its smooth, easy-drinking character. One popular option is to mix white rum into the piña colada and then top with a splash of more flavorful dark rum for a nice color contrast as well as an extra punch. This is probably not the cocktail for an expensive heavily aged rum, as its complexity will be lost behind the pineapple and coconut. You can also use other spirits in the drink—lighter-flavored choices like vodka or blanco tequila are great options.

Can you drink piña colada mixes by themselves?

Absolutely! But most mixes are pretty thick and concentrated since they're meant to be combined with rum and ice. If you want a virgin piña colada, add some ice and give it a stir to lighten the texture a little. If it's still too thick, add a little water or lime juice, and if it's too thin, add some more mix. For a nonalcoholic frozen piña colada, add extra ice plus water or juice to the blender—it'll take a little experimentation to perfect the texture, but it'll be delicious experimentation.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and spirits writer. She has been writing about the bar and spirits world for five years and has her BarSmarts and WSET certification.

Taylor Tobin, who updated this article, is a wine and beverage journalist with bylines in publications like Wine Enthusiast, VinePair, Eater, and Wine4Food. An avid fan of blended cocktails, she takes a special trip to Rockaway Beach, New York, every year to enjoy her favorite piña colada at Connolly’s Bar, and the high quality of this particular rendition makes her firmly believe that piña coladas deserve to be taken seriously in the beverage arena.

The Spruce Eats commerce writer Jason Horn further updated this article. With more than 15 years of experience writing about cocktails, he's had more than his fair share of piña coladas. In fact, there are cream of coconut in his fridge, cans of pineapple juice in his cabinet, and several varieties of rum on his liquor shelf right now.