The Piña Colada Cocktail Gets A Herbaceous Makeover With The Brancolada Drink

Many Piña Colada cocktail riffs play around with new ingredients, but they hold on to the tropical base that made the original famous. This minty variation of the Piña Colada cocktail, the Brancolada, follows the same idea of combining pineapple, coconut and rum but with Italian herbal liqueur. It’s not a replacement, but another interpretation of the classic that relies on a highly popular combo - pineapple and mint.

The History Of The Brancolada Cocktail

The Brancolada cocktail was created in 2012 by Jeremy Oertel for the Brooklyn cocktail bar Donna, known for its modern takes on tropical drinks. Oertel was inspired by a previous gig at bar Dram, where servers poured chilled Italian herbal liqueur over ice cream sandwiches from a special dispensing machine. The unlikely combination of creamy sweetness with mint inspired him to re-imagine the classic Piña Colada cocktail. The rum, pineapple, coconut and Italian herbal liqueur retained the original tropical base but with a distinct layer of peppermint, herbal botanicals and a mild bitterness. The Brancolada cocktail quickly became one of Donna’s signature drinks and is now considered a modern tiki classic.

Traditional Brancolada Cocktail Recipe

Here’s how you can make the Brancolada cocktail at home:

• 20ml Jamaican Rum

• 10ml Branca Menta

• 60ml fresh pineapple juice

• 40ml cream of coconut

• 15ml fresh lime juice

• Ice

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Add all the ingredients.

3. Shake vigorously until well chilled.

4. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over crushed ice.

5. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a pineapple leaf.

Why The Flavours Work Together

Every ingredient contributes a different dimension to the cocktail.

• The Jamaican rum brings out light tropical fruit, soft banana esters and sweet molasses that complement the pineapple.

• The sweet-tart combination. The tropical, acidic punch of pineapple cuts through heavy sweetness, while mint adds a clean contrast. 

• The Italian herbal liqueur has prominent peppermint, herbal botanicals and a gentle bittersweet edge to contrast the coconut.

• The cream of coconut gives the cocktail body, richness and a velvety texture. 

• Fresh lime juice adds a crisp citrus note to lift the overall profile and keep the richness in check.

The result is a cocktail that is still clearly inspired by the Piña Colada Cocktail, but introduces a mint-forward, herbaceous layer that adds complexity and complements its tropical base.

Conclusion

The Piña Colada cocktail remains an inspiration for many new recipes and riffs. This particular one utilises herbal liqueur, resulting in its unique take on rum cocktails. It’s a lesson in how, sometimes, the most creative recipes are not the most complex but simply tinker with familiar ingredients to create unique combinations. 

*Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.