Get ready to mix up the holiday season with the return of the Holiday Coquito Competition, presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and BACARDÍ USA. Aspiring bartenders, take note: this is your chance to shine and win an educational trip to Puerto Rico.
What Is Coquito?
Coquito is Puerto Rico's beloved holiday drink — a rich, creamy coconut-based cocktail that has been passed down through families for generations. The name translates to "little coconut," and the drink is often called the Puerto Rican answer to eggnog, though aficionados will point out that coquito is its own distinct tradition with its own personality.
For bartenders, coquito is more than a seasonal novelty. It represents an entire category of batched, creamy holiday cocktails — and mastering it gives you a template for building layered, crowd-pleasing holiday menus.
A Brief History
Coquito's roots are in Puerto Rico's sugarcane culture. Puerto Rican rum — produced from molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane processing — became the spirit of the island, and when the holiday season arrived, families combined it with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and warming spices to create a drink that traveled well and kept in the refrigerator for days.
The tradition spread with the Puerto Rican diaspora, particularly to New York City, where coquito-making became a competitive art form within communities. Today, the drink has crossed over into the mainstream bar scene, appearing on holiday cocktail menus across the country.
The Traditional Recipe
A classic coquito serves 8–10 and keeps refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Ingredients:
- 1 can (15 oz) cream of coconut (not coconut milk — cream of coconut)
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 2 cups Puerto Rican white rum (Don Q or Bacardi Superior are traditional choices)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
- Pinch of cloves
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 60 seconds until fully emulsified.
- Taste and adjust spices.
- Transfer to glass bottles or a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving — the flavors meld and improve with rest.
- Shake or stir well before each pour, as separation is natural.
- Serve in a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube, or straight up in a shot glass.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.
Getting the Texture Right
The most common mistake bartenders make with coquito is achieving the wrong consistency. The drink should be thick and creamy but still pourable — similar to a thin milkshake, not a pudding.
Key technique notes:
- Use cream of coconut, not coconut milk. Cream of coconut (brands like Coco López are standard) is sweetened and thick. Coconut milk is thinner and unsweetened — using it will give you a watery, undersweetened drink.
- Blend, don't stir. The fats in the dairy and coconut need to fully emulsify. A thorough blending creates a stable, homogenous texture.
- Rest before serving. Freshly blended coquito tastes raw. After 4–8 hours in the refrigerator, the spices bloom and the flavors knit together.
- Temperature matters. Serve cold — either over ice or straight from the refrigerator. Warm coquito loses its appeal quickly.
Modern Variations to Know
Contemporary bartenders have expanded coquito in interesting directions. Here are variations worth adding to your repertoire:
Piña Colada Coquito — Replace evaporated milk with pineapple juice and add a small amount of rum cream. The result is fruity and tropical.
Dark Rum Coquito — Swap white rum for aged Puerto Rican rum (Zaya, Ron del Barrilito). The aged rum adds vanilla, caramel, and oak notes that play beautifully with the cinnamon.
Coconut Bourbon Coquito — Replace rum entirely with a coconut-washed bourbon. This appeals to whiskey drinkers who want a holiday cocktail that feels familiar.
Vegan Coquito — Replace condensed milk and evaporated milk with full-fat coconut milk and coconut cream, and use agave syrup for sweetness. Surprisingly close to the original.
Coquito Espresso — Add a double shot of cooled espresso and a small measure of coffee liqueur for a dessert-style variation.
Building a Holiday Cocktail Menu
Coquito teaches an important lesson about holiday menus: batched cocktails are a bartender's best friend during high-volume service. During the holiday season, a bar program benefits from having 2–3 pre-batched signature drinks that can be poured quickly.
When building a holiday menu, consider:
- One batched creamy drink (coquito, a spiked nog, or a pumpkin cream cocktail)
- One warm cocktail (hot toddy, mulled wine, or a warm spiced cider punch)
- One sparkling cocktail (a Champagne-based punch or a low-ABV sparkler for non-drinkers)
- One stirred classic with seasonal flavors (a spiced Old Fashioned or a pear Manhattan)
This range covers every guest preference while keeping service efficient.
Coquito at the Bar vs. Behind the Scenes
One consideration for bar service: coquito is traditionally a batched drink served from a bottle or pitcher, not a cocktail built to order. This makes it ideal as a seasonal special that gets premade daily — but it requires labeling (date made, ABV, dairy content for allergy purposes) and proper cold storage.
If offering coquito by the glass, pour 4–5 oz into a chilled rocks glass over one large ice sphere, dust with nutmeg, and add a cinnamon stick. For a catering or event setting, serve it in small cups directly from a chilled pitcher.
Learn the Full Cocktail Curriculum
Coquito is one of dozens of culturally significant cocktails that tell the story of how spirits and communities shape each other. At ABC Bartending College, students learn not just recipes but the history, technique, and cultural context behind the drinks they'll serve. Explore our programs and find a location near you.
