Strawberry Swirl Pina Coladas

There is no better way to kick off summer than with a frosty Pina Colada. Adding some sweet and juicy Driscoll's strawberries turns it into a taste explosion of summer right in your mouth. Memorial Day weekend, although technically not summer, is the kick off to warm weather, days at the beach and backyard barbecues. You definitely need a cool and sweet cocktail to help celebrate this festive weekend.


When Driscoll's Berries asked me to create a strawberry recipe for National Strawberry Month, I immediately thought of this Strawberry Swirl Pina Colada. I was at a resort pool a couple months back and saw a waiter bring this beautiful icy and creamy drink with swirls of bright ruby red berries and thought - I want this, I need this and I think I can easily make it at home!


My family basically lives on Driscoll's Berries, so grabbing a couple of pints at the store and whipping them into a sweet puree was a no brainer. We often have fresh pineapple in the house (one of my favorite fruits) so all I needed was some of that sweet cream of coconut and I was on my way to the perfect strawberry Pina Colada and a great Memorial Day weekend.

*Recipe note - one of my secrets to a frosty cocktail is putting the glasses in the freezer for about an hour before serving!

Strawberry Swirl Pina Colada

Recipe by Liz Hughes - Virtually Homemade

Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Yield: 4 cocktails
Ingredients

• 1 pint fresh Driscoll's strawberries, sliced and frozen
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup cold water or coconut water
• 2 cups fresh chopped pineapple
• 1 cup cream of coconut
• 1 cup white rum (use 1/2 cup of orange juice for a virgin colada)
• 16 ice cubes
• Extra strawberries for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Place strawberries, sugar and water in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer.
2. Clean out your blender and add pineapple, cream of coconut, rum and ice cubes. Blend until smooth.
3. In a clear glass add 1/3 of the pina colada, top with desired amount of strawberry puree, top with another layer of pina colada and then a dab of strawberry puree. Repeat with other glasses and garnish with strawberries.

Based on a recipe from Martha Stewart.

Enjoy more drink recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers and food network:

Feed Me Phoebe: Hibiscus Tea Arnold Palmers, Spiked or Sober
Creative Culinary: Lime Sherbet Float with Strawberries and Prosecco
Virtually Homemade: Strawberry Swirl Pina Colada
Healthy Eats: 5 Classic Cocktails, Slimmed Down
Daisy at Home: Frozen Watermelon-ade
Homemade Delish: Summer Cocktail Delight
Taste with the Eyes: Sublime Franco-Korean Elderflower Soju Martini
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Prosecco & Chambord Cocktail
Red or Green: Fresh Watermelon & Herb Margaritas
The Mom 100: A Peach Cocktail and a Mocktail for Mixed Company
FN Dish: 6 Fruity Riffs on Classic Summer Cocktails