Coquito

Long a staple of Puerto Rican holiday celebrations, coquito which affectionately translates to “little coconut” makes for a festive sip in any climate. Often appearing after Thanksgiving straight through Christmas to Three Kings Day, family visitors and guests are always offered a shot of the sweet, tropical “nog” no matter the time of day. Stateside, in Puerto Rican enclaves from the Bronx to Orlando, seasonal entrepreneurs often proudly sell their homemade hooch packaged in leftover cognac, rum or whisky bottles to coworkers and neighbors. Closely-guarded and much-debated recipes are passed through families with the same status as inherited jewelry. Nearly half a dozen recent requests made to friends yielded plenty of deflection and zero shared recipes. Whether enriched (or not) with golden egg yolks, and no matter the exact mixture of exotic spices, coquito’s slow rum burn is sure to fill one with the holiday spirit.

 

Throwing together coquito is a sticky affair. Be sure to keep a rubber spatula handy to get every last syrup-y drop from each can. Making sure ingredients are well blended and have time to rest and mingle as they chill is also important as is shaking the bottle vigorously before each pour.

 

 

Coquito

Makes 3 liters

 

2 12-ounce cans evaporated milk

2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

2 15-ounce cans cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez or Goya)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

750 ml bottle white rum

 

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk or immersion blender till well-combined. Alternatively, process in blender in batches. Pour into bottles with tight fitting lids and refrigerate at least an hour. Shake very well before serving as a sipping shot or on the rocks.