Welcome summer with some classic beverages. Recently, my husband and I visited Puerto Rico. No Puerto Rician visit is complete without a visit to Barrachina in Old San Juan. Why is it so famous? It is the birthplace of the Piña Colada. Huge blenders back into the bar and the production is impressive…so is the drink! Yes, one can enjoy a fresh coconut milk from street vendors who open the coconuts and provide straws; but, the tropics beckon with just the mention of a true Piña Colada. A good Piña Colada consists of cream of coconut, pineapple juice (I prefer blended fresh pineapple, ice (for the chill) and light or dark rum. Variations on a theme include substituting ice for ice cream or substituting rum for vodka. A frozen peeled banana can substitute for the pineapple but it is not as good as pineapple. I like to top mine with a Maraschino cherry. The connoisseurs will serve the drink in a hulled-out pineapple. So, bring on the summer heat. The blender is ready! © Kelly McBride Loft