Bobby Colada

Bobby Colada (Born Roberto Fernando De La Cruz II) was born in Panama City, Panama in 1969.

In 1981, after being sold into indentured servitude as a cabana boy, young Roberito escaped to South Beach, FL where he worked his way up through the rum import trade, eventually opening his own bar, “Colada’s” in South Beach in 1990. As proprietor and chief bartender, De La Cruz became a regional celebrity when his crafted signature cocktail, the “Rum Coke in Da Nuts” (rum, pineapple, cream of coconut, served in 2 coconuts) became a Miami sensation. And ‘Bobby Colada’ was born.

But the good times were not to last. After incorporating pink Flamingos in his branding without permission, Colada was sued into poverty by the Miami Bartender’s Association. Decades of struggle followed. Colada had to settle down, get an actual job, pay his bills, and take responsibility like some mandilón básico. This was no bueno.

But then in 2017, inspiration struck. After a chance viewing of El Siberiano Estepario on YouTube, Colada knew what he had to do: immediately tell his boss to “¡Chupa mi penga!” and start playing the drums professionally.

At 48.

Newly divorced, and in severe credit card debt, Bobby Colada knows “¡Solamente el cielo es el límite!”