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Coquito

Rum, coconut and condensed milk blended and chilled: Puerto Rico's Christmas drink, scented with cinnamon and clove.

Collection version

For one serving

Ingredients

Coconut Milk
Simmered with spices; see the steps
22.5 ml / 0.76 US fl oz
Cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks for the coconut milk (amounts in the steps), plus a dusting of ground cinnamon to serve
1 pinch
Clove
Whole, for the coconut milk; amounts in the steps
1 pinch
Star Anise
Whole, for the coconut milk; amounts in the steps
1 pinch
Allspice
Whole, for the coconut milk; amounts in the steps
1 pinch
Gold Rum
The original uses gold Puerto Rican rum
45 ml / 1.52 US fl oz
Cream of Coconut
22.5 ml / 0.76 US fl oz
Condensed Milk
22.5 ml / 0.76 US fl oz

US fl oz amounts are rounded; use ml for exact measures.

First make the spiced coconut milk: simmer a can (about 400 ml) of coconut milk with 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 2 star anise and 3 allspice berries over low heat for 30 minutes, then strain and cool.
Blend the gold rum, spiced coconut milk, cream of coconut and condensed milk until smooth and frothy.
Bottle it and refrigerate for a few hours until well chilled.
Pour into a small glass, no ice, and dust with ground cinnamon.

This recipe comes from Roberto Berdecia of La Factoría in San Juan, who makes big batches to keep on hand through the holidays.

La Factoría's recipe as published by Imbibe (2:1:1:1); it makes 15 to 20 servings, and this is one of 20.