The Secret To Brian Miller's "Best Piña Colada You've Ever Had."

After launching cocktails at Pegu Club, helming the bar at Death & Co., and co-founding The Polynesian,

Brian Miller resurfaces like a rare tiki treasure—Just in time to elevate your Piña Colada, to incredible heights.

"I love Piña Coladas. Like pizza and sex, even the bad ones are still pretty good. But when you put love and effort into it, it can be, amazing.

The first time I put a Piña Colada on a menu was at the opening of my first and only bar, The Polynesian – R.I.P. Like all the drinks on that menu, I put thought, research, time, love, and effort into each spec. The results were better than I could’ve ever hoped for. The Piña Colada became a staple, a destination drink, and a favorite "shifty" (shift drink) amongst my bartending crew.

So when I got the job at Stockton Inn and saw a beautiful outdoor bar with a waterfall, I knew a Piña Colada had to be on the menu.

Back in 2023, I was living and working in St. Lucia, running a bar called La Vie in Rodney Bay. One day at the beach I ran into an old friend, Toby Maloney. We got to talking about Piña Coladas and he mentioned a chef friend made dulce de leche using Coco Lopez instead of evaporated milk. I was sold. I had to try it one day.

Two years later, armed with a Taylor slushy machine in Stockton, NJ, I’m now serving what’s commonly referred to as “the best Piña Colada I’ve ever had.”

There aren’t that many ingredients in a Piña Colada—rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream. But when you break them down and reassemble them, you get something truly transportive.

The Rum

Most go with a light/dark combo. I go further: five rums, including overproof Demerara and blackstrap. I love rum, and I want people to know they’re drinking rum.

The Juice

Fresh-squeezed pineapple or nothing. No Dole.

The Cream

Creamier is better. It’s not just coconut cream; you need heavy cream too. At times I’ve mixed Coco Lopez with organic coconut milk to mellow it. But Chef David Goody at Stockton took me further. Instead of boiling cans, he had me steam them in the Combi oven overnight. After 15 hours? Mind-blowing. It turns Coco Lopez into something caramelized, rich, and deeply roasted.

“When you break it down and build it back up, something magical happens to the Piña Colada.”

The Specs

Slushy drinks are all about balance. And thanks to the crew at Mother’s Ruin in NYC (a Toby Maloney hangout, no surprise), I had slushy specs that gave me a foundation. I could share them, but then I’d have to kill you.

That’s it. My roadmap to making a better Piña Colada. Take what you will, run with it, and maybe one day you’ll catch me sipping one at your bar, dreaming of a beach."

Taste this evolution in person at the Dog & Deer Tavern inside the historic Stockton Inn, NJ — where this Piña Colada is now a signature staple.

Then catch Brian Miller as head judge at the Tiki Throw Down on August 17 at Melrose Ballroom, LIC—part of NYC’s premier cocktail festival, The New York Cocktail Expo.

Grab tickets here: NY Cocktail Expo 2025 →