Coquito is a homemade coconut milk based drink made in Puerto Rican communities throughout the holiday season. Every coquito recipe is a little different. Back in the day the coconut milk was made from fresh coconuts, which is a long and messy process. While there is no doubt that adds a deliciousness unmatched by canned coconut milk, just about everyone these days uses the canned variety. Typically all coquitos are a mix of coconut milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut, alcohol, cinnamon, and vanilla. Some people swear by particular brands of ingredients to get the flavor just right. Some skip the cream of coconut, some add an egg, others might use a little nutmeg or star anise, or use a special technique in how they blend it all together. The beauty of this drink is the pride people take in making it, sharing it, and celebrating their family recipes.

Aida Casanova and Addys Castillo offered up their recipes and family stories about coquito and so much more on the Coquito Season episode and podcast . Check out each of their fabulous recipes for this traditional drink below!

Aida Casanova’s Award Winning “Casanito” Coquito
Aida is the reigning champion of the New Haven, CT coquito contests. She uses both light and dark rums to balance the intensity of the alcohol flavor, and adds an egg for creaminess, just like her father did. The secrets in her recipe are the specific brands of ingredients she uses (which are still a secret), but you should be able to mix up something delicious no mater what brands you use.

Makes 9 cups or 70oz

1 - 15oz can cream of coconut
1 - 13.5oz can coconut milk
1 - 12oz can evaporated milk
1 - 14oz can condensed milk
light and dark rum
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 raw egg

1. Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Taste and adjust alcohol and cinnamon to your liking.

3. Use a funnel to fill your bottles, and leave an inch or two of room at the top, so that you can shake it to combine before drinking.

4. Store in the refrigerator. Most sources online say this will keep for 4-6 months.

   To serve: Aida likes to serve her coquito on ice.

Addy’s Castillo’s Coquito
Typically Addy’s makes a 10 Liter batch of coquito in a big pot and bottles it up for family and friends. We cut the recipe by 1/4 here, but feel free to quadruple it and go large. Addy’s family likes their coquito strong, so feel free to adjust the alcohol to your taste.

Makes approximately 11 cups or 90oz

1 - 15oz can cream of coconut
1 - 13.5oz can coconut milk
1 - 12oz can evaporated milk
1 - 14oz can condensed milk
1 pint (2 cups) egg nog
2 ½ Cups or 20oz - Palo Viejo rum (1/4 of a 1.75 Liter bottle)
Cinnamon - to taste (she likes it strong)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. If making a full batch, blend the cream of coconut and coconut milk in a blender first, then add them to a large pot with the other ingredients and use a hand held stick blender to combine all the ingredients together.

2. Taste and adjust alcohol and cinnamon to your liking.

3. Use a funnel to fill your bottles, and leave an inch or two of room at the top, so that you can shake it to combine before drinking.

4. Store in the refrigerator. Most sources online say this will keep for 4-6 months.

   To serve: Addy’s likes to give her coquito a little margarita like flare by dipping the rim of the glass in coquito followed by cinnamon.

Coquito is sweet and creamy which easily hides the alcohol it contains, so keep an eye on that bottle before you drink more than you meant to!

ENJOY!

If you think you’ve got some coquito mixing skills do a little searching for a contest near you. If you are in the New Haven, CT area, check out this contest on January 4, 2020.