If You Like Lemon Pina Coladas

Do you like Pina Coladas? I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain, and I especially like this lemon Pina Colada, which is hands down the most refreshing version I’ve ever poured into a glass. Oh c’mon, you knew that line was coming. Who can drink a Pina Colada without singing the song? No one over forty, anyway. And no, before you say it, it isn’t Jimmy Buffett. It’s Rupert Holmes, 1979, and I will correct you every single time, preferably poolside.

So what makes this one worth your while? Fresh lemon juice. That’s the whole trick. A good squeeze of it cuts straight through the sweet coconut and pineapple and turns a heavy, cloying drink into something you’d actually order a second round of. With National Pina Colada Day landing on July 10th, consider this your excuse.

What’s that, you didn’t plan a party for Pina Colada Day? Yeah, me neither. I found out about it roughly the same way you probably did, which is to say by accident, but I can’t argue with the logic of the holiday. For the record, I’m still lobbying for a National Sangria Day. I’ll keep you posted.

Why fresh lemon belongs in a Pina Colada

A classic Pina Colada is pineapple, coconut and rum, and left alone it can taste like drinking a dessert. Fine for one. Punishing by the third. The lemon does the same job a squeeze of lime does for a margarita. It brightens everything and keeps the sweetness in check, so the drink stays crisp instead of turning into a slushie you gave up on. If you’ve ever taken two sips of a Pina Colada and quietly set it down, this is the fix.

What you’ll need

A few notes before you start, because two of these trip people up every time.

Cream of coconut is not coconut milk, and it isn’t coconut cream either. It’s the sweetened stuff, thick and pourable, and Coco Lopez is the one I reach for. Look for it in the cocktail mix aisle, not with the Thai curry cans. If you grab unsweetened coconut milk by mistake your drink will taste flat and sad, so read the label.

Two rums, on purpose. White rum for the backbone, coconut rum for that extra hit of the tropics. You can go all white rum if that’s what’s in the cupboard, but the coconut rum earns its keep.

The whipping cream is what makes it taste like the version you had on vacation. A quarter cup gives it that soft, almost milkshake texture without tipping it over into full dessert.

Fresh lemon juice, not the bottled kind. This is the entire point of the drink, so squeeze a real lemon and don’t argue with me.

Rimming the glass with toasted coconut

You don’t have to rim the glass to enjoy these, but I’m going to tell you it makes them prettier and a fair bit tastier, so.

Toast about half a cup of medium shredded coconut in a dry stainless steel pan over high heat, shaking the pan constantly so it doesn’t scorch. Take it off the heat the second it looks toasted enough for you. Give it a couple of quick spins in the blender to crush it finer, then tip it onto a plate. On a second plate, stir a quarter cup of sugar with just enough lemon juice to make a paste. Dip the rim of your glass in the lemon sugar, then straight into the toasted coconut so it sticks. Fresh pineapple pieces on the rim if you’re feeling fancy.

Making a batch of Lemon Pina Coladas for a crowd

This recipe makes two drinks. It scales cleanly, so multiply everything by the number of people you’re feeding and blend in batches. Most home blenders start losing the fight with the ice somewhere past a double or triple recipe, so don’t overload it. You can premix everything except the ice a few hours ahead, keep it cold in a pitcher, then blend with ice to order. Nobody wants the watery one that’s been sitting.

The virgin version

Leave out both rums, add another splash of pineapple juice and a little more lemon, and you’ve got a lemon coconut cooler the kids and the non-drinkers will genuinely fight over. Make extra. Learned that the hard way.

What’s so special about these Pina Coladas? Well, the addition of fresh lemon juice pretty much makes them one of the most refreshing summer drinks you’ll ever have. And with National Pina Colada Day on July 10th you’ll probably want to serve these to your guests.

What’s that? You didn’t plan a party for Pina Colada Day? Yeah, me either. I just found out about it, but I can’t argue with the logic of this holiday. Have we established a National Sangria Day yet? If not, have no fear, I’m on it.

Since you brought it up

The Boozy Sangria I’ll Be Serving on National Sangria Day

Remember that holiday I’m campaigning for a few paragraphs up? This is the recipe I’m campaigning with. Big pitcher, loads of fruit, and enough wine to make the case on its own.

Get the recipe

Sorry, I’m off topic, back to the Pina Coladas at hand.

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Lemon Pina Coladas

A brighter, more refreshing take on the classic Pina Colada. Fresh lemon juice cuts the sweet coconut and pineapple, and a toasted coconut rim finishes it off. Makes two frozen drinks and scales easily for a crowd.

Course Drinks

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup sweetened cream of coconut I use Coco Lopez
• 6 tbsp white rum
• 6 tbsp coconut rum
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups crushed ice

For the rim (optional)

• 1/2 cup medium shredded coconut toasted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Lemon juice enough to make a paste with the sugar
• Fresh pineapple pieces

Instructions

1. Add the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, white rum, coconut rum, whipping cream and lemon juice to a blender.
2. Add the crushed ice. Cover and blend until smooth.
3. For the rim, toast the shredded coconut in a dry stainless steel pan over high heat, shaking constantly so it doesn’t burn. Once toasted, pulse it in the blender to crush it finer and tip onto a plate.
4. On a second plate, stir the sugar with just enough lemon juice to make a paste. Dip the rim of each glass in the lemon sugar, then into the toasted coconut so it sticks.
5. Pour and garnish with fresh pineapple. Serve right away.

Recipe Notes

Cream of coconut is the sweetened stuff (Coco Lopez), not coconut milk. Premix everything except the ice ahead of time and blend to order for a party. For a virgin version, skip both rums and add more pineapple juice and lemon.

One more for the blender

Frozen Maple Coffee Drink

For when it’s still hot out but you want the coffee cold and the maple doing the heavy lifting. Same blender, different vibe.

Get the recipe

(Updated July 10, 2026.)