The Best Non-Alcoholic Whiskey Colada Recipe and More

Many of us would rather be on a beach, sipping a pina colada and forgetting about our worries. Some of us prefer whiskey over rum, but we nevertheless crave the tropical feel. The whiskey colada is a perfect alternative that gives you the best of both worlds.

The best whiskey colada recipe is hard to pin down, but we have a few notable options. Sans alcohol, you can still make an excellent whiskey colada with Mashville non-alcoholic whiskey.

Our guide below will go into the history of coladas and offer some delicious recipes to try. Whether you use alcoholic or non-alcoholic whiskey, they all work, so the choice is yours. That said, the non-alcoholic ones are just as delicious and healthier to boot.

What are you waiting for? Read on, and let's get mixing.

Where the "Colada" Began

The piña colada is an iconic drink. The combo of smooth, creamy coconut and sharp, refreshing pineapple is to die for. Toss in a rum of your choice, and you're in heaven.

Sipping on a piña colada transports you to a tropical paradise. It's so popular that it's become Puerto Rico's national drink. This shouldn't be too surprising since legend has it that this is where the drink originated. 

As the story goes, the infamous 19th-century pirate Roberto Cofresi, the last of the West Indies pirates, crafted the drink. He gave his men a mixture of coconut, pineapple and rum to boost morale as they were evading capture.

Other stories place the drink's invention in various Puerto Rican hotels around the 1950s, but we like the pirate story better.

Regardless of when it was actually invented, its rise to popularity was inevitable. The reasons for this boil down to its versatility and how easy it is to make. Piña means pineapple, and colada means strained.

The star of the show is the pineapple, and coconut, while the spirit you choose adds a touch of bite and spice to the sweet mixture. Traditional recipes always go for white rum, as it's true to its historical origins. However, fans have found in recent years that almost any alcohol works, including whiskey.

The whiskey colada, as it's become known, has its own cult following. Even those who don't drink still opt for alcohol-free whisky when making non-alcoholic pina coladas. 

History of Whiskey Colada

The origins of the Whiskey Colada are murky. It's gone by various other names, the most popular of which might be the Cowboy Colada. Most put its origins somewhere in the late 70s to 80s, during a period of serious experimentation.

There's even a Scotsman colada. You know it's good when the Scottish get behind the trend with their world-famous whiskeys.

It's easy to find non-alcoholic whiskey colada recipes these days. From bourbon to Scotch, Irish, rye, etc., a delicious non-alcoholic version is available. What's a little more difficult is finding ones that are worth trying.

The Various Forms of the Whiskey Colada

The reason why the whiskey colada is so good is that the pina colada itself is so versatile. As a cocktail, you can garnish it however you like. You can also introduce extra flavors, such as the subtleness of oak or the smokiness of apple wood.

The purists might say that's anathema, but they've never taken the pina colada to the next level. Almost every whiskey can go into a pina colada, both alcoholic and non. We got a list of our favorite recipes below.

Mashville Non-Alcoholic Whiskey Colada

The Mashville colada is a true gem. It might even be among the best non-alcoholic cocktails ever. It starts with Sier Hill's excellent Mashville non-alcoholic whiskey alternative.

Made for mixed cocktails, it delivers the same sort of mouthfeel and flavor profile you'd expect from the best bourbons. Charred oak, red apple cider, clove, and sweet corn are only some of the notes and aromas you'll catch.

This non-alcoholic whiskey colada recipe leverages all of these beautifully. We have the full recipe for the Mashville colada here, so make sure you have the following:

• 2 oz Seir Hill Mashville Whiskey Alternative
• 2 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
• 3 oz fresh pineapple juice
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 3 dashes of DRAM alcohol-free Bitters (they have 5 flavors, so the choice is yours)
• Splash of water
• Pinch of salt

What's great about this recipe is that it leaves the flavor profile of the bitters up to you. Because of this, you can make something a little different every time. The steps to make it are super simple too.

1. Choose whether you want to go with a tumbler or toss everything in a blender. You may also opt to handshake it if that is your preference.
2. Put your ingredients into the shaker or blender and let your muscles or machine work its magic. You'll want ice to be a part of the equation, but whether you want it crushed, cubed, or a fully incorporated “frozen colada,” it's up to you.
3. Pouring it into a hurricane glass is optional but classy and traditional. This is a whiskey colada, after all.
4. Garnish it with a pineapple wedge. It's not much, but it makes a difference, trust us.

If you've done it right, you'll have the finished article. A crazy smooth whiskey colada with a fantastic citrus bite and that iconic bourbon burn. This Mashville whiskey colada recipe will never disappoint.

The Virgin Pina Colada

If you're looking for a tropical drink without the smokey kick of Mashville, this is a great alternative. Here are the ingredients, which you may already have in your kitchen!

• One and 1/2 cups of frozen pineapple chunks (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup of crushed ice
• 6 oz of pineapple juice (unsweetened)
• 6 oz of coconut milk (unsweetened)
• Brown sugar, to taste (optional)
• Pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries for garnish

Since this recipe consists of frozen pineapple chunks, you don't have to worry about putting too much ice. Start with a quarter cup and keep adding if you still wish for a chillier drink. Pineapple wedges and maraschino cherries are the garnish of choice if you want to go the traditional route, but you can also add a little paper umbrella.

Here's how to complete your virgin pina colada:

1. Combine the ice and frozen unsweetened pineapple in a blender.
2. Pour the unsweetened pineapple juice and coconut milk (and brown sugar, if you desire) over the top. Puree until smooth.
3. Test the sweetness and add more brown sugar to your liking.
4. Pour the puree into a hurricane glass and adorn it with your choice of garnish.

If you're using fresh pineapple, you'll want to use more ice. Enjoy this virgin pina colada on a hot afternoon, whether you're sunbathing outdoors or staying in for a movie.

Cowboy Colada

With a pedigree of less than a quarter-century, it's fast becoming a great way to enjoy a pina colada with a twist. Unlike the other options on this list, the cowboy colada sticks to American and Canadian blended whiskeys.

Like the other recipes on this list, they work super well with non-alcoholic whiskeys. Seir Hill Mashville works well and is so good, you'll swear you're drinking the real thing.  The primary difference is the ratio of ingredients where the Cowboy Colada features a higher amount of whiskey vs. the sweeter, fruity components.

You'll need these ingredients to make it:

• 2 oz Non-alcoholic Mashville
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz Coco Lopez Coconut Cream
• 1 pineapple slice for garnish
• 1 cherry for garnish
• an old fashioned, rocks, or tumbler glass

The goal with this cocktail is to enjoy it like an old-fashioned, so you want a stemless glass and a solid amount of ice. Making it is a walk in the park.

1. Take all of your ingredients, minus the garnishes, and throw them into a shaker. It's your call to go with large ice cubes or chunks, but crushed ice will detract from the experience, so avoid that.
2. Shake it until it's combined and strain it over a glass on the rocks.
3. Drop your cherry in, and slide in a pineapple slice as you would with orange in an old-fashioned.
4. Optional: throw in some non-alcoholic bitters to complete the effect. The ones from DRAM in the Mashville Colada recipe above are good go-to's.
5. Enjoy!

You'd think the creaminess would take away from the old-fashioned. However, it almost imitates the egg from the traditional versions. With a high-quality non-alcoholic whiskey like Mashville as your base, this drink shines.

With all the health benefits of going non-alcoholic, your body and taste buds will thank you.

It’s easy making a drink that can live up to the pina colada, with whiskey or an alternative. There's a variety of good recipes, interesting history, and plenty of ways to enjoy them. What's crazy is you can make a great whiskey colada recipe with non-alcoholic whiskey.

All you need is the right ratios and a top-tier non-alcoholic whiskey base. Seir Hill makes some of the absolute best mocktails and non-alcoholic spirit alternatives. Contact us or pick up a bottle today, and you'll see exactly how far non-alcoholic drinks have come.