Today’s forecast is 95 and sunny, with more of the same (and even hotter) for the next two days. When this part of the summer comes around, I resort to standard survival methods: crank the air conditioning; put out the inflatable backyard pool; and blend up some frozen drinks. To help you in your fight back against the heat and humidity, I offer you a recipe for the classic frozen cocktail: the piña colada.
The piña colada combines pineapple and coconut flavors with ice and rum and – through the power of these tropical flavors and the position the drink has come to occupy in the collective imagination – mentally transports you to a breezy tropical island. Suddenly, the blazing heat and humidity of the Washingtonian jungle feels right – almost as if you really are at the beach:
Even if all you are really doing is filling your inflatable pool for that inflatable-pool party you’re hosting later (but trust me, this is a good idea – it helps with the tropical-island fantasy):