Two years ago one of my co-workers, who is from Puerto Rico, turned me on to a drink that his dad made for family gatherings around Christmas. Later on I would come to discover that Coquito ("little coconut") is a holiday tradition in all of Puerto Rico and a **** fine one at that. Never being a fan of the taste of Egg Nog, it's become a tradition in my home now, too. The ingredients should be familiar to anyone used to making or consuming tropical cocktails, so it's a great holiday drink from tiki lovers. Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 12 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 15-ounce can of Coco Lopez
• 1 12-ounce can of Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup light rum (I use Cruzan)
• Powdered cinnamon

1. Place water, cloves, cinnamon sticks and ginger in a small saucepan to create an infusion. Cook at medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.
2. After cooking, cover and let the infusion cool for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
3. Place the Coco Lopez, evaporated milk, rum and infusion in a blender. Cover and blend for 30 seconds.
4. Pour contents into a glass bottle with a cinnamon stick and refrigerate until cold.
5. Serve in 2-5 ounce glasses. Spinkle top with powdered cinnamon.