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For many, the first taste of rich coconut spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves signals the start of the holiday season. That’s because Coquito, a beloved holiday drink originating in Puerto Rico and now enjoyed nationwide, is a Christmastime staple.
Its name comes from the Spanish word meaning “little coconut,” but many think of Coquito as the Puerto Rican version of eggnog — and the comparison makes sense. Instead of relying on eggs and traditional dairy for a frothy texture and viscosity, Coquito builds its lush texture with coconut cream and condensed milk, then blends in rum and baking spices. The result is a celebration-ready drink that tastes like stringing Christmas lights on a palm tree: equal parts tropical escape and cozy winter vibes.
Making Coquito at home is relatively simple — the hardest part may be deciding how to spike it for some extra holiday cheer. White rum from Puerto Rico is the classic pick, but as recipes evolve and bartenders innovate on the classic cocktail, there’s no shortage of inspired riffs.
We asked bartenders to share the rums they love most for Coquito. As you reach for your bar cart to make your batch a little extra merry this season, keep their expert recommendations in mind.
Don Q Cristal
Food & Wine / Don Q Rum
Clear rum is the most popular choice for Coquito because it lets the coconut flavor shine. For Lyanna Sanabria, founder of Papi, a Puerto Rican restaurant and bar in Portland, Maine, there’s no better rum for Coquito than Don Q Cristal. “This works well for Coquito because it is Coquito,” she says. “The cocktail is Puerto Rican, so incorporating traditional terroir will always taste best.”Â
Don Q’s Cristal is a smooth, clear rum that gets its viscosity from passing through multiple rounds of distillation. It’s then aged for up to five years in American white oak barrels, adding another layer of complexity and vanilla notes.
Ron RincĂłn
Food & Wine / RincĂłn Rum
Another one of Sanabria’s picks is Ron Rincón. The small-batch distillery blends molasses column-distilled rum with another liquid that’s made from sugarcane and distilled in a pot still. “I love a clear rum in Coquito so the body stays all coconut, but the warmth of the island is felt even from here,” says Sanabria. “The fresh sugarcane notes in Ron Rincón round the biting edges but maintain a traditional flavor base for a nostalgic Coquito.”
Ten to One Dark Rum
Food & Wine / Ten To One Rum
While white rum is the more popular pick, Luis Hernandez, director of food and beverage at New York City’s Hello Hello, looks to Ten to One Dark Rum for Coquito. He says that a Coquito made with Puerto Rican rum typically has a less pronounced rum flavor, with the spices and coconut standing out more prominently. Opting for a blended rum makes for a more nuanced, rum-forward drink, he says. “Ten to One, being a blend of Caribbean rums, makes a much richer and more balanced rum to stand up to the spices and richness of the coconut in the Coquito,” he says. “Ten to One, with the addition of funky Jamaican rum, adds another layer without overwhelming the rest of the flavors.”
Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced Rum
Food & Wine / Don Q Rum
Juan Montes, founder of Antiguo 26 Alta CoctelerĂa in San Juan, Puerto Rico, likes to add a bit of spiced rum to his Coquito to drive flavor. This expression from Don Q is “macerated with a blend of spices before resting in American oak barrels for three years, rounding out any sharp edges from the sugarcane distillate,” he says. “The spices in the rum blend beautifully with most Coquito recipes, which almost always contain the big three Caribbean spices: cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.”
Ron del Barrilito Two or Three Stars
Food & Wine / Ron del Barrilito
If you want to level up your at-home Coquito, Sanabria suggests springing for Ron del Barrilito’s premium rums aged in Oloroso sherry casks. “At Papi, we produce over 100 liters of Coquito each season, so the price point of such a nice rum doesn’t fit the bill,” Sanabria says. “However, the toasted brown sugar and smooth diesel notes of both the Two Star and Three Star bottles of Ron del Barrilito elevate any Coquito recipe to top-shelf.”
Bohique
Food & Wine / La Destileria Craft Spirits
Bohiqu, a spiced rum, is comforting warmth in a bottle, thanks to the addition of spices and botanicals like anise, cinnamon, and clove. It may be a bit more difficult to track down this craft distiller’s creation than some of the big-name brands, but the search is worth it because using Bohique in Coquito is like “cooking with stock instead of water,” says Sanabria. “It keeps the base Boricua but adds depth to the herbal profile.”
Bacardi Superior Rum
Food & Wine / Bacardi
There are plenty of ways to innovate and make Coquito your own. But Gio Gutierrez, bartender and founder of Chat Chow TV, likes to lean into tradition with a bottle that’s been around since 1862. “Bacardi Superior Rum is a rum that’s been passed down through generations just as much as the recipe itself,” he says. “The clean, smooth, and balanced flavor, with subtle notes of almond, vanilla, and tropical fruit, allows every ingredient, from the coconut and cinnamon to the cloves and nutmeg, to shine through.”
