Puerto Rico: Piña Colada - The Culture and History of Alcoholic Drinks Around the World
When I was at primary school, my parents used to subscribed to a magazine which carried a regular series of travel essays. The writer described experiences from all over the world, as well as different parts of Japan, in fascinating detail. I always looked forward to reading each instalment. One of the essays described a stay at a tropical resort. I enjoyed reading about the beautiful scenery, the food and the drinks, but one particular word caught my attention: Piña Colada. From the context, it seemed to be some sort of drink. But as a primary-school child, I simply assumed it was a fruit juice or something similar. Years later, when I was old enough to drink, I once went to a South American restaurant in Tokyo with some friends who were studying Spanish. While we were there, a waiter brought something to the customers sitting in a booth on the other side of the aisle. “Piña Colada.” The moment I heard those words, a distant memory came back to me. The large ...