I would learn much later that the phrase consists of two lines from a song by Rupert Holmes entitled Escape but which became more popularly known as The Pina Colada Song. Pina colada is considered the national drink of Puerto Rico. The story has it that the captain of a pirate ship used to serve the drink to his crew. Pina Colada is also the title of a short story by Filipino writer H.O. Santos and whether or not it is a coincidence, rain also figures in it.
The basic pina colada contains four parts of light rum, three parts of unsweetened pineapple juice (or crushed pineapples), and two parts of coconut cream. They are stirred or shaken with ice and served with a wedge of fresh pineapple. Or, perhaps, the dreamy part is something peculiar to me because I still associate the drink with that phrase carved on wood from long ago. You can adjust the proportions of the ingredients to find the blend that suits you best. Or you can make variations with cream and coconut-flavored liqueur.
Mango martini
Why this drink is labeled a martini is a mystery to me. A martini is a drink made with gin and vermouth but this cocktail drink has neither. The ingredients are fresh mango, Triple Sec, vodka, and lime juice. No gin. No vermouth. But whatever. Even if it’s a case of mislabeling, it doesn’t matter. It tastes fantastic. Most mango martini recipes do not include sugar. Speedy made a sugarless mix, I found it weird-tasting, then he handed me another glass which, he said, had sugar in it. It tasted perfect.
If you like to try to make a mango martini, try and get fresh ripe mangoes. We had two which were supposed to go into a bowl of kani salad but no one had the time to make the salad and the mangoes had turned very, very ripe. Obvious solution? Puree and make drinks. Cut the mango, remove the stone, and discard the skin. Cut the mango flesh into small pieces. Throw into the blender, add the rest of the ingredients, and a few ice cubes. Process until smooth. Pour into a glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry, if you like. Serve very cold.