The Best Coconut Milk for Piña Coladas, According to Bartenders

The draws of a Piña Colada are endless. The swirls of bright, acidic pineapple and creamy coconut, tart lime, and the punch of rum — this beachy drink is a balanced dance between a tangy tropical escape and nostalgic indulgence. 

While many consider rum the star player in a well-made Piña Colada, coconut does the real heavy lifting in the drink, uniting the acid, alcohol, sweetness, and structure. But what form of liquid coconut is best? Is it coconut milk, cream of coconut, or coconut cream? 

Coconut milk vs. coconut cream vs. cream of coconut

While the names hint at similarities, these three products are quite different. 

Coconut cream is shredded and pressed coconut flesh. Coconut milk is the same, but contains more water, resulting in less overall fat — that’s why a thick layer of coconut cream separates the water in coconut milk. The richest of them all is cream of coconut, a syrupy sweet product typically used in dessert and beach drinks like, most famously, the Piña Colada. 

Traditional recipes frequently call for cream of coconut, while others lean on coconut milk for a lighter, creamy mouthfeel. 

We spoke to a range of bartenders about their preferred style of coconut to use in a Piña Colada. Though Coco Lopez’s cream of coconut is thought of as the traditional choice, there are several alternatives that go beyond this favored option.

Chaokoh Thai Coconut Milk

“I normally work with Thai coconut milk instead of a coconut cream,” says Demi Natoli, the beverage director for Nashville’s White Limozeen.

“Thai coconut milk has a higher fat content, plus we can adjust the sugar to our liking — a big benefit to avoid overly sweet or artificial tasting coconut,” says Natoli. If she does use coconut cream, she’ll add coconut milk powder to amp up the coconut flavor. 

Michael Mesh, bartender at St. Roch Fine Oysters & Bar in Raleigh, North Carolina, makes his own cream of coconut from high-fat Thai coconut milk. “Cream of coconut is essentially sweetened coconut milk,” he says. “So if you add sugar to high-fat coconut milk, bam, you have your own homemade cream of coconut.”

Pro Tip: 
Mesh likes to riff on the classic Piña Colada by adding brûléed banana-infused rum and a touch of espresso liqueur. “It's called the Jungle Java on our brunch menu,” he says.

Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

If you’re not keen on making your own cream of coconut, lean on Coco Lopez. “It’s the industry standard,” says Mesh. “Its roots lead back to Puerto Rico, where the national drink is the Piña Colada. If I can’t make my cream of coconut myself, this is my favorite alternative.”

John Plascencia, bar manager at Lotte Hotel Seattle in Seattle, is also a Coco Lopez fan, and points out that it uses real Caribbean coconuts and natural cane sugar to build the sweetness. 

“Using coconut milk can make the cocktail taste watered down,” says Plascencia. “Cream of coconut creates a creamier, silkier cocktail.”

Aroy-D Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream

José Medina Camacho, the co-owner and beverage director of Adiõs in Birmingham, Alabama, uses a combination of Aroy-D’s coconut milk and coconut cream in his Piña Coladas, “plus Coco Lopez for sweetness,” he says. 

Camacho follows a ratio of 2 parts coconut milk, 1 part coconut cream, and  1/2 part Coco Lopez cream of coconut. For an extra boost of flavor, he adds Chinese five-spice powder (a mixture of spices typically made up of cinnamon, star anise, black peppercorns, fennel and clove).

“[Aroy-D’s coconut milk] gets particularly fluffy when you add aeration, which makes for a fantastic Colada,” says Camacho. “You can even use just the milk and still get a fluffy but light mouthfeel.”

Boiron Coconut Purée

For blended Piña Coladas, instead of coconut milk or coconut cream, Plascencia prefers Boiron’s coconut purée.

“It’s a great addition to [frozen] drinks, and comes in several flavors — passionfruit, guava, morello cherry, or mango,” he says. “These purées use real fruit and sugar without additives or preservatives.”

Coco Reàl Cream of Coconut

“When it comes to cream of coconut my brand of choice is Coco Reàl,” says Rob Husted, owner of Steel Tie Spirits Speakeasy and Cocktails4Hire, and the United States Bartenders’ Guild’s Palm Beach president. 

“It’s in bartender-friendly squeeze bottles, which makes knocking out quality cocktails in a timely manner a breeze,” says Husted. “And each squeeze is approximately half an ounce, so I don’t have to use or dirty up my jigger. It frees up my hands to serve guests faster.” 

Coco Reàl is made with cane sugar and meat from hand-picked coconuts.

Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream

Adrian Lindsay, the bar manager of Missy Lane's Assembly Room in Durham, North Carolina, loves this coconut cream for traditional Piña Coladas “because of the flavor and price,” he says. “Plus it’s organic. I prefer coconut cream over coconut milk because it offers a better mouth feel. Viscosity matters.”

Lindsay’s go-to Piña Colada recipe sticks to the script: rum, pineapple and coconut cream, and a little added sugar, if necessary. “That’s it,” he says. “The Piña Colada is a classic cocktail. It does best without modification.”

Nature’s Heart Coconut Milk

At Chileno Bay, Auberge Resorts Collection in Los Cabos, Mexico, beverage manager Miguel Vargas uses coconut milk to make a milk punch with a Piña Colada lean. “We combine coconut milk and cream, add white rum and a bit of lime, then pineapple juice,” he says. 

Vargas’s favorite coconut milk is Nature’s Heart. “I find there’s more natural fat and coconut flavor,” he says, adding that he finds this coconut milk brand to be versatile and also combines it with tequila or gin.

For an alcohol-free variation, Vargas will combine coconut milk with mint, lemon, and a touch of natural syrup or spice. 

Homemade Coconut Cream

Erbin Garcia, the director of operations at Caña Rum Bar in Los Angeles, hasn’t been able to find his perfect on-the-shelf brand of coconut milk or cream. 

“We've experimented with all kinds of coconut cream brands but decided to take matters into our own hands and create our own perfect blend,” he says. “We wanted something less sweet and more balanced. So, we started making our coconut cream in-house with fresh young Thai coconuts. We crack them open and use the coconut milk and meat.”

For Garcia’s recipe, mix two parts fresh coconut water (with meat) with one part sweetened condensed milk. “Then, blend that mixture 2:1 with Coco Lopez,” says Garcia. “Voilà. You’ve got a delicious coconut cream that lasts a week and should always be kept in the fridge.