Coquito, a creamy coconut- and rum-based cocktail, is a staple of the Puerto Rican holiday menu.
Learn how to make it at home and enjoy year-round.
Many Puerto Rican families bring these festive customs to the mainland.
Photo: Brie Passano
My parents are not an exception.
They both arrived in the mid-1950s in Rochester, a small city in western New York State.
They met in the mid-1970s and were together until my father died in 2014.
My mother came as a preteen to Rochester with her family in search of a better life.
Fast forward to 1983.
It’s the first Christmas I remember.
I was 5 years old, living in Rochester.
My parents owned a liquor store, DeJesus Liquor Store, near the Kodak and Gerber factories.
Many Puerto Ricans moved to the area to work in the factories.
Many of them were my father’s customers.
They knew him as “Don Gume.”
Every Puerto Rican who lived in Rochester either knew him or knew of him.
He was one of the “OGs” of the Puerto Rican diaspora community in Rochester.
Rochester is known for its freezing winters and mounds of lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario.
My mother always said sales were better during the winter months because people used alcohol to stay warm.
Once we arrived at the store, he would boost me over the counter to my parents.
I then hung out by the cash register and made small talk with the customers.
Some even brought me toys or candy.
My mother makes it every Christmas season, keeping at least one bottle in the fridge for unexpected guests.
Back in the day, she always had it at the ready in case of a parranda.
Christmas of 1983 was the last holiday season we spent in Rochester.
We had several parrandas that Christmas season.
I remember people coming into the house with their thick coats, toting guitars, maracas and guiros.
The living room and kitchen exploded with people singing and dancing.
In the spring of 1984, we moved to Puerto Rico.
My father had retired from working for the city of Rochester and sold the liquor store.
His dream was to always return to his hometown of Guayama.
My father still knew a lot of people there, and the parrandas followed during the holiday season.
As always, the omnipresent item in our fridge was coquito.
Both my parents were great cooks.
They showed their generosity through food.
My mom still gifts calderos of rice and beans to friends during the holidays.
When I became an adult, I wanted to continue that tradition.
When I graduated from college, I earned my commission as a Marine officer.
My first duty station was in Okinawa, Japan.
The bonus is that warm spicy smell filling the house.
Some recipes call for ground cinnamon and cloves.
My mom is always against that because the spices float to the top.
I reserve the ground cinnamon for the end, for a light sprinkle on top of the coquito.
You should technically serve this in a shot glass because it’s quite rich.
When my father met my husband, he offered him a whole coquito bottle as a welcome gift.
Coquito brings me a certain comfort.
Now I find myself making it at home every holiday season regardless of where I live.
Tips from the Test Kitchen
Is Coconut Cream the Same as Coconut Milk?
Can I Make It Nonalcoholic?
Feel free to omit the rum for a family-friendly drink that everyone can enjoy over the holidays.
Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Pour the cooled mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
Set the cinnamon sticks aside (discard the other solids).
Transfer the strained milk to a blender.
Add coconut milk, condensed milk, coconut cream and rum.
Blend at medium speed until well blended, about 3 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate, ideally overnight, for the flavors to come together.
Serve cold with a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
