 In 1954, Caribe Hilton's bartender Ramón "Monchito" Marrero was asked to create a drink that captured the unique flavors of the island. Monchito finally settled on the mixture he felt captured the flavors of Puerto Rico and the piña colada was born. The drink was a hit with guests, locals and soon gained popularity around the world. Monchito continued to serve the drink at Caribe Hilton for 35 years until his retirement in 1989, and left quite the legacy, as in 1978 Puerto Rico named the Piña Colada its official national drink. In 2004 and 2014, Caribe Hilton received proclamations fron the Governors of Puerto Rico in celebration of the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Piña Colada. The proclamations recognize Ramón "Monchito" Marrero as the creator of the Piña Colada in 1954, while working as a bartender at Caribe Hilton. Tomorrow, we celebrate July 10th as the worldwide official Piña Colada Day. |