Friday, the day of the week we all let out a collective sigh…..and the day many of us reach for a celebratory cocktail.  Whether you’re staying in or going out, Friday is a mini celebration and you deserve something special to congratulate yourself on making it through another week.  From now until Christmas I’ll be posting a fun cocktail every Friday (some classic, some original) in a series I’m calling Festive Fridays.  So grab your cocktail shaker and join me this week in imbibing the delicious Coquito.

Each Christmas my mother makes eggnog from scratch, it’s light but rich, delicious and potent.  Unfortunately for me, I’m allergic to eggs (sob) but my mother, gem that she is, has been making me my very own batch of vegan egg-less-nog for years.  It’s actually quite delicious but involves advanced preparation (soaking cashews) and who really wants to deal with that?  This year I think I’ll give my mom a break and make my own batch of Coquito instead.

C and I were introduced to Coquito last year, our local package store made some and sold it to their regular customers.  It was love at first sip.  Luckily my girlfriend L recently reminded me how delicious it is, which is why it is my debut cocktail for #festivefridays.  You can find recipes for Coquito all over the internet, I decided to take one of those and make my own additions.  For instance, my mother uses white rum and cognac in her eggnog, so I decided to do the same.  I also love a strong cinnamon and nutmeg taste, so I increased the cinnamon and added nutmeg.  Here’s the recipe I made:

Coquito

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cans (13.5 oz each) of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup white rum (I used Bacardi)
• 3/4 cup cognac (I used Remy Martin)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling on top of each cup)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (plus more for sprinkling on top of each cup)

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to the blender, blend on low/medium until combined
• Chill for at least 2 hours before serving
• Shake, stir or blend before pouring into individual glasses
• Sprinkle each serving with cinnamon and/or nutmeg, do a festive toast and enjoy!

I’m sure I’ll make more edits the next time I make it.  For instance, I think the sweetness could be taken down a notch so I might reduce the condensed milk.  Or, I might take out the condensed milk altogether and use sweetened coconut cream instead for a dairy-free version.

Here’s to an enchanting holiday season!

XOXO