10 Best Rums For A Coquito

If you identify as Puerto Rican (or are close to anyone who does), coquito might bring back memories of holiday celebrations that may or may not have resulted in a holly jolly hangover. Coquito is typically compared to egg nog, but with a tropical twist. The drink is a blend of various kinds of milk, coconut, cinnamon, and rum that's meant to be sipped during the holiday season. 

There's really no wrong way to make the spirit — people get creative by adding different flavors or spirits to their recipe. Some rums, though, are tried-and-true picks for the cocktail. 

We spoke with a couple of rum experts to select the best rums/spirits for coquito and hopefully get you inspired to make a bottle this holiday season. Christopher Reyes is an experienced bartender of Puerto Rican descent who jokes that he "grew up" drinking coquito. He also owns Aldama and Ponyboy, two Brooklyn eateries known for their cocktail list. We also talked to Chris Andrasfay, the co-founder of Frankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas, who boasts quite an impressive rum background.

Another Puerto Rican rum that is easy to get your hands on is Don Q Cristal. Reyes doubles down on the idea that coquito isn't supposed to be something fancy and overly thought out, so using an affordable rum is the simplest way to make it. "Coquito is a drink that's supposed to be affordable. You can buy it for the holidays with $20 or $30 and bring it to your dinner party with your family," he explained. "It's about having fun when you make it. It's not supposed to be so sophisticated." 

It makes sense to use something like Don Q, which sells for less than $22.49 on Drizly (as of December 2023). It's another clear carta blanca rum that won't strongly impact the drink's flavor but provides it with the necessary booze to make it real coquito. It's a good pick that's close to Bacardi, but a little bit different if you're tired of the typical recipe. 

Another aged rum that Reyes recommends for coquito is Brugal Añejo, which is native to the Dominican Republic. Sold at the price point of $47.49 a bottle on Drizly (as of December 2023), Brugal Añejo is characterized by sweet notes of caramel, brown sugar, and toffee that, alongside notes of vanilla and clove, channels the flavor of fresh baked goods. Coquito is a sweet treat that's meant to be savored — it's not a good idea to down a whole bottle in one night by yourself unless you're asking for a stomachache. Therefore, Brugal increases the sweetness of the drink, making it even more of an indulgence while opening up the drink to sophisticated oaky notes. 

Brugal makes a few iterations of rum, including a blanco supremo, if you want to keep things traditional. If you're feeling adventurous, try making coquito with a bottle of añejo and see if it lives up to (or even outshines) the original recipe. 

Cachaça is a Brazilian spirit distilled from sugarcane that is recognized as another version of rum in America. Rum is usually distilled from molasses; however, cachaça is distilled from fermented sugarcane juice. It's that small difference that can totally change the outcome of your coquito — if you're feeling adventurous. Reyes says it's common for people to make coquito using cachaça or Clairin rum from Haiti, which he says adds a little funk to the recipe. 

"There are so many options of rum throughout the world," Reyes said. It's why he encourages people to branch out in the liquor aisle, as a coquito made with Brazilian cachaça feels like a totally different beverage than coquito made with Bacardi or Don Q. If you're looking for something unfamiliar, it pays to get creative. Is it necessary to go and hunt down rare rums in order to make coquito at home? Absolutely not. "There's no problem whatsoever with making coquito with just regular, carta blanca rum," Reyes adds. 

While it would be a bit overwhelming to use solely Malibu or another coconut rum in coquito, Reyes believes it can amp up the coconut flavor if you mix it in with carta blanca or other rums. It's not an ingredient he necessarily requires in order to accomplish a coquito recipe. "If I had coconut rum I would add it," he said. Malibu is also extremely affordable, so it fits with the ethos of coquito being an approachable spirit everyone can enjoy during the holidays. 

In general, Reyes recommends that novice coquito makers take their time and taste their recipe along the way. "You can always add to something, but you can never take it out. Just go slow and take it little by little," he said. He also recommends using fresh ingredients, like making your own simple syrup and using vanilla bean pods instead of extract, to make your coquito the best it can be.

We know that Hennessy isn't in the rum family — it's a strong cognac popular both on the rocks and in expressive cocktails. However, coquito is supposed to be low-stress and fun, as Reyes explained, so it's okay to break the rules a bit. Reyes says it's common for him to see coquito made using Hennessy in New York (and beyond) during the holiday season to add some variety to all of the offerings. "It's actually really, really, really good," he admitted. 

It's not for the faint of heart — a coquito recipe using Hennessy will definitely be stronger than a version with rum. Another coquito tip from Reyes is that no matter what alcohol you're using, you should let your finished beverage sit overnight in the fridge before enjoying it. That way, all the flavors can marinate. "It's going to taste way better in the morning, better than candy," he promises.