Coquito, the eggnog of Puerto RicoTwo 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
Directions
- 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.
- After cooking, cover and let the infusion cool for 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
- Place the Coco Lopez, evaporated milk, rum and infusion in a blender. Cover and blend for 30 seconds.
- Pour contents into a glass bottle with a cinnamon stick and refrigerate until cold.
- Serve in 2-5 ounce glasses. Spinkle top with powdered cinnamon.