What does coquito taste like?
Coquito tastes like coconut eggnog: thick, sweet and creamy, packed with coconut and cinnamon, with a real kick of Puerto Rican rum underneath.
Coquito
coconut eggnog with a kick
Coquito means "little coconut," and it's Puerto Rico's Christmas drink. It's coconut milk, coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk blended with white or spiced rum, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Some families add egg yolks, many don't. It tastes like a coconut milkshake crossed with eggnog, silky and very sweet, and the rum is more noticeable than you'd expect. Every family has its own recipe and strong opinions about it. It's served cold and sipped in small glasses, because a little goes a long way.
Where you’ll see it
On holiday menus at Puerto Rican and Latin restaurants and bars from late November through January, served chilled in a small glass with cinnamon on top. Some places sell bottles to take home.
Order it if you like piña coladas and eggnog and want both at once.
Quick questions
- Is coquito the same as eggnog?
- Not quite. Coquito is built on coconut milk and condensed milk, and often has no eggs. Eggnog is milk, cream and eggs. Both are sweet, spiced holiday drinks.
- Is coquito strong?
- It can be. Recipes vary, but many use a generous pour of rum, and the sweetness hides it. That is why it comes in small glasses.