Think of Coquito as the Puerto Rican version of eggnog! It's made with a blend of coconut ingredients, cinnamon, and rum. One batch makes plenty for a party.

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

Every December I throw our annual Christmas cookie swap. It’s a simple event that we’ve honed to turnkey tradition over the years. I throw on some hipster Christmas music, set out plenty of holiday-appropriate nibbles like a cheese plate or crab dip, and put a little Santa cap on our corgi because ohmygod it’s adorable.

Drink-wise I keep it simple: mulled wine and this coquito.

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What is Coquito?

Coquito is an easy cocktail to make, but unlike mulled wine, no one knows they love it yet. As the host, I feel it’s my merrymaking duty to introduce people to it.

Coquito is a traditional punch from Puerto Rico. It’s often called “Puerto Rican eggnog” due to its very similar flavor profile and occasional use of eggs in some variations.

How To Make Coquito

This recipe is simple: coconut milk, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon. Boom. Done.

I like to sweeten mine with sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut. Look for cream of coconut in the liquor section if you can’t find it with the other canned ingredients. Good brands are Coco Lopez or Goya.

Can You Make This Vegan?

I would recommend using almond milk or soy milk in place of the evaporated milk. As for the sweetened condensed milk, I would add 1 cup of sugar and another milk alternative to make up the volume and sweetness. Start slow with adding the sugar, and taste as you go until you reached the desired sweetness.

SUGGESTIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Anything after those basic ingredients is up to you. Like so many dishes, coquito doesn’t have an exact recipe. The type and amount of rum, the choice of spices, the type of sweetener, or even whether to use eggs or not can vary from recipe to recipe and person to person.

This means that coquito is a recipe that you shape to your taste.

Choose a rum you like! White, aged or spiced rum all are good. Mount Gay is smooth and affordable; Gosling’s black rum is a little richer.

White, aged or spiced rum all are good. Mount Gay is smooth and affordable; Gosling’s black rum is a little richer. Don’t want nutmeg? Don’t use it. Ginger, cloves, and star anise are good adds.

Don’t use it. Ginger, cloves, and star anise are good adds. Want to serve it on the rocks? Rock on.

Rock on. Have guests who don’t drink alcohol? Skip the rum and make it virgin!

Have fun, experiment, and make the recipe yours. It will quickly become part of your holiday tradition, too.

Make Ahead and Storing Tips for Coquito

You can chill this in the fridge up for as little as two hours and up to three days ahead of time. All you have to do is pull this out when it’s time to serve, and garnish with some cinnamon or grated nutmeg.

You can also keep coquito indefinitely in the refrigerator since the amount of alcohol keeps it preserved. But it begins to separate and look dodgy after more than three days, which may make you nervous. It’ll still be fine, and all you have to do is shake it up to make it smooth again.

Looking for more holiday cocktails?