FERNÁNDEZ FAMILY COQUITO

From mí tío: I mix a can of evaporated milk with a can of coconut cream (Coco Casa, it’s the best one I’ve found and Fairway has it, but Coco Goya or any other will do).

I usually put a can of light (silver) rum (and it can be an inexpensive one, no need for fancy stuff).

So, the proportions are basically 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 each of coconut cream, evaporated milk and rum, which makes for a pretty powerful brew. But feel free to put as much or as little rum as the occasion calls for and drinkers will tolerate. I’ve made it without rum.

Some people use vodka instead of rum but I’ve never tried that way.

The “secret ingredient” in my coquito is a reduction that I make out of 4 – 6 ounces of water with lots of whole cloves and a couple of cinnamon sticks. You boil it down to 2 – 3 oz. and strain the liquid into the mixture. Coquito will keep indefinitely in the fridge; the rum takes care of that. I have had it for 8-10 months.

http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2007/12/15/2007-12-15_loco_for_coquito.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coquito