Like coconut milk? One cold and one warm holiday cocktail recipes! @tallerjen @PopeHouseLounge @DonQRum

With the slew of holiday cocktail options currently offered on various sites all over the web we thought we would contribute one overlooked holiday treat that is a great alternative for those who don’t enjoy classic eggnog (as well as those who do), and one cocktail created by a local Portland Bartender, both utilizing the creamy, exotic attributes of coconut milk.

Coquito, is essentially Puerto Rican eggnog, and much like eggnog, there are many variations. Similar to punches, part of the joy of creation is tailoring the recipe to your taste, so use this as a general guideline and feel free to experiment to create your favorite Coquito version. Use coconut cream if you can find it, though we used high quality coconut milk from our favorite Thai grocery store, which contains a thick layer of cream on top of the more watery milk, and it worked very well. We also used a combination of Ceylon and Mexican cinnamon, as the Mexican adds a spiciness absent in the Ceylon. The recipe below yields quite a bit, and it is generally sipped out of shot glasses or small cups, so the recipe can be equally divided down without compromised results. Don Q Cristal is a great rum for this recipe as it is remarkable smooth and very light in flavor so that it doesn’t overpower the other spice ingredients.

DonQ Coquito

2 cans (30 oz.) coconut cream

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 or 2 cups DonQ Cristal

1/4 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tbsp. ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a blender on high. Refrigerate. Serve cold, sip and enjoy. Yields about 3L of coquito.

The second cocktail is from  Jenn Hegstrom of Pope House Lounge and received top marks at the recent cocktail competition Belvedere Unfiltered Vodka Portland release event at Teardrop Lounge.

Choco-nut Cozy

1.5 oz. Belvedere Unfiltered
.5 oz. Di Saronno Ameretto
Heater Whole Milk/ Coconut Milk 3:1 ratio
Hot Chocolate Mix

Served hot in clear coffee mug. In separate container mix heated milk, add hot chocolate mix, still until well combined. Add Belvedere Unfiltered and Amaretto. Top with Coco-Orgeat whipped cream. Garnish with fresh shaved chocolate and toasted coconut.

We regrettably do not have a photograph of this delicious libation, as we were too busy slurping it down to remember to take a picture, but Geoff of Drink Spirits did, as well as other cocktails and recipes from the Belvedere event that can be found at DrinkSpirits.com. Simply put, you need to make this drink.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!