As the holiday season in the Bronx draws to a close, many will be finishing off the last remaining glasses of Coquito, either made at home with family and friends or feverishly hunted down through recommended experts in local Facebook groups.
The coconut rum drink with notes of cinnamon rises in popularity during the Christmas and New Year’s season due to its Puerto Rican roots. Nearly 240,000 Bronxites are from the island, according to the most recent estimates from New York City Department of Planning.
So, what makes a truly great Coquito? Coquito fans and industry experts told the Bronx Times that regardless of individual variations or flavors in recipes, great Coquito has quality ingredients, Puerto Rican rum and the ability to bring people together.
But today, modern Coquito is made with coconut cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, rum and cinnamon. It’s often compared with Egg Nog, although many recipes do not use eggs.
Darlene Pender is a Kingsbridge resident who is known for her Coquito recipe. Ask her neighbors for their recommendations on where to pick up a bottle and they’ll be quick to drop her name.
She remembers growing up and watching her grandmother and aunts make Coquito at family gatherings using a large pot to simmer the eggs and condensed milk. Yet, Pender had to alter the recipe to cut out the eggs because she was allergic.
“ So after, I would say, a lot of trial and error I find the ingredients that blend the best,” she said. “Some people will just go buy a can of evaporated milk or coconut milk or cream de coco, just any can. But for me, I use specific types.”
Pender said that she relies on a Puerto Rican favorite, Coco Lopez, to give her Coquito an extra creamy richness that has all her neighbors clamoring for a bottle or two of the stuff. So many people come to her for Coquito every year, that she had to start being careful about how often she tested the drinks.
“ I had to learn that I can’t taste it all the time,” Pender said. “I taste it before I put in the rum or sometimes I taste it, but I just take a little taste. I was making like 20 bottles in a day and I was feeling tipsy.”
She also said that an important factor in making her special recipe is using quality cinnamon. “ I use organic cinnamon and organic nutmeg,” Pender said.
Her trial and error method has netted her a smooth and creamy Coquito that is highly coveted in the Northwest Bronx.
Pender said that’s the special thing about her Coquito— it’s brought people together.
“ Just seeing the people happy and the same people calling me every year, I just love it,” Pender said.
“They’re really nice, they’re happy. It’s just a really great group of people that I’ve encountered, so I’ve been very fortunate.”
By far, the Coquito trade in the Bronx is based on word of mouth recommendations and friends and family that have access to family recipes passed down through generations.
Yet, people can still find homemade Coquito when they go out to eat.
Fabricio Alonzo, is the owner of Made in Puerto Rico, a restaurant and lounge that’s been open for around a decade in Throggs Neck.
The restaurant serves up Puerto Rican classics like Mofongo, Pastelillos, Arroz con Gandules and during the holiday season, Coquito.
Alonzo told the Bronx Times that even in a commercial establishment, he tries to bring a sense of being welcomed into a home, especially during the holidays.
“We try to create memories for our customers,” Alonzo said.
“So, during the holiday season starting Thanksgiving, we offer them a free shot of Coquito after they have dinner, sort of like a dessert. And that’s where it spreads just the whole love, because they’re like, ‘wow, I haven’t had Coquito this good.'”
As a major Bronx restaurant, Alonzo could purchase commercially made bottles of Coquito. It would be faster and more cost effective, but he chooses to make homemade batches, because he said he believes in the quality.
“ It’s not authentic,” Alonzo said.
“The ingredients are not what it’s supposed to be, and sometimes I think they add more alcohol than it should. A cocktail [like] refreshing Coquito, you taste the alcohol, but you also don’t want it to overpower the other flavors. You want everything to be well balanced.”
Alonzo told the Bronx Times he had been invited to participate in large Coquito competitions, sponsored by commercial rum brands, but said that he eventually decided against it because the massive quantities the competitions were looking for him to produce would compromise the quality of his product.
Ultimately, for Alonzo, maintaining the quality of a homemade Coquito took precedence.
Also, the awards and accolades of a major competition, can’t defeat the notoriety that comes from local word of mouth.
“It is like a bragging rights to see who has the best Coquito,” Alonzo said.
Alonzo’s restaurant, Made in Puerto Rico on East Tremont will continue to offer his famous Coquito through the new year, until supplies last.
While the Puerto Rican classic has versions that can be bought in stores, unlike its contemporary egg nog, or other classics like the margarita, the heart of Coquito remains in family recipes and local kitchens.
It’s not about drinking for the sake of getting tipsy, its about connecting with friends, family and neighbors and raising a glass of sweet, creamy, coconut rum to celebrate the holidays and look forward to a new year.
Reach Sadie Brown at sbrown@schnepsmedia.com or (214) 994-6723. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
