December 21st is National Coquito Day, and it’s the perfect opportunity for many people to try out a drink that they may not be familiar with. Coquito is a traditional Christmas drink that originated in Puerto Rico and is very similar to eggnog.

In fact, sometimes people call it Puerto Rican Eggnog, even though its name really means “Little Coconut” in Spanish, and plenty of people say that it tastes even better than eggnog.

Traditionally, this drink is made with condensed milk, rum, egg yolks (sometimes, not all Coquitos contain them), coconut milk, and sometimes vanilla. If this sounds like a delicious combination of ingredients, then gather some friends together and let’s all celebrate this holiday.

The History of National Coquito Day

It’s generally believed that Coquito was first made at the beginning of the 20th century but didn’t become famous until the 1950s. It remained a traditional Puerto Rican drink for decades before it was included in a series of cookbooks that alerted people to its existence. And once people began trying out this drink, its popularity went through the roof. It appears that almost everyone who tries it ends up liking it.

The holiday National Coquito Day hasn’t been around quite as long as the drink. It was only created in 2018 by Don Q — a manufacturer, distiller, and distributor of Puerto Rican rum. Although the popularity of this holiday has been slow to take off, over the past couple of years, more and more people are discovering the deliciousness of Coquito, and as a consequence, are observing this holiday more often.

Some Amazing Facts About Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is really an amazing Caribbean island, so we would like to take this opportunity to list some of the things that we learned about it. The following facts are ones that we discovered while researching National Coquito Day. We hope everyone enjoys them.

• Puerto Rico uses the U.S. dollar for currency.
• Since it’s a U.S. territory, Americans don’t need a passport to enter the island.
• Puerto Rico is home to 3.2 million people.
• 5 million Puerto Ricans live in the Continental U.S. and not in Puerto Rico.

Observing National Coquito Day

The only real way to observe this holiday is by whipping up a few glasses (or a few pitchers) of this delicious drink. Make this drink with or without egg yolk; it’s up to how you like it. And don’t forget to share the word about this holiday using the hashtag #NationalCoquitoDay on social media.

Before we go, we’d like to say that people might want to think about what they’re going to pair with this iconic drink. We suggest pairing it with Tembleque (Coconut Pudding), Coquito Tres Leches Cake, Arroz con Gandules, or Roasted Pernil. You might even want to pair it with a Puerto Rican cookie such as Mantecaditos.