On a recent trip to Bardstown, I picked up a Zachariah Harris eggnog bottle from the 1792 distillery. In my opinion, it takes first place in the mass-produced eggnog circuit. But bottle eggnog is bottled eggnog.
I did not start out looking for an alternative to bottled eggnog. Still, as I was genuinely wasting time scrolling through Mark Zuckerberg's time killer, I came across an eggnog alternative that I will bring to family Christmas on Thursday.
Coquito meaning "Little Coconut" in Spanish, is a Puerto Rican Christmas drink. Traditionally made by mixing coconut milk, coconut cream, Puerto Rican rum, and sweetened condensed milk, coquito is the Spanish version of eggnog.
As Angie headed off to a Christmas party, I hit the road to round up the ingredients based on a recipe I found on the world wide web:
4oz raisins
1 1/2 Cups Puerto Rican Dark Rum
Two cinnamon sticks
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (15oz) can cream of coconut (you find this in the low alcohol content drink section)
1 (13.5oz) can coconut milk
4oz evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
The process to make is straightforward. Put the raisins and cinnamon sticks in a glass container and cover with the rum for 1 to 2 hours.
In a separate container, blend all of the other ingredients into a smooth liquid. I used a blender, but you can probably use a whisk.
After about an hour, I added the blended ingredients to the rum, raisin mix.
Angie and I sampled it after dinner, and it is a winner. I am told it gets better the longer it mingles together. Right now, it is sitting in the back of the refrigerator allowing chemistry to do its work. On Christmas Eve, I will serve it in small shot glasses for sipping after dinner.
In the end, it won't matter if it's Zachariah Harris eggnog or coquito! This week is Christmas, and I pray that you get the opportunity to enjoy good drinks, good food, and good times with the people you love