A twist on the Piña Colada, Demi Natoli’s Congas y Coladas cuts the coconut syrup component with “Doña’s Mix,” a play on Donn’s Mix that incorporates cumin, layered on top of pineapple juice and funky Jamaican rum. “The drink pulls together to make a really savory, but also refreshing cocktails,” says Natoli.
Congas y Coladas
Demi Natoli, The Patterson House | Nashville, TN
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce Plantation Pineapple Rum
- 1/2 ounce overproof aged rum, preferably Plantation O.F.T.D.
- 1/2 ounce Jamaican rum, preferably Smith & Cross Rum
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- 1 ounce Doña’s mix (see Editor's Note)
- 1 1/2 ounce coco syrup (see Editor's Note)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 4 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 cup crushed ice
Garnish: pineapple leaves, pineapple slice, edible orchid
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a Hurricane glass.
- Garnish with pineapple fronds, a pineapple wedge and an edible orchid.
Editor's Note
Doña's Mix:
4 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
6 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon allspice
400 grams sugar
400 grams water
Combine all ingredients in a pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Strain out the solids and bottle. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Coco Syrup:
1/4 cup coconut milk powder, preferably Coconut Dream
200 grams sugar
200 grams water
4-5 cans of unsweetened coconut milk.
Chill the cans of unsweetened coconut milk for 24 hours. Separate the solid fats from the liquid until you have 2 cups of fat and discard the liquid. Combine all the ingredients in a pot over low heat and blend using an immersion blender.