Culture & Society

France has its wine. Germany has its beer. Eastern europe has its vodka, And Puerto Rico has its rum. Puerto Rico is famous for many things but it is probably best known for producing some of the world's finest rums. Not lightly do they call this small island the rum capital of the world. Over 80 percent of the rum sold in the U.S. comes from Puerto Rico; it's the island's chief export. Puerto Ricans do not take it for granted that they live on an island that produces high-quality product, and they consume it without prejudice. It's not a stretch to consider it an intrinsic part of the culture - and of the Caribbean's as a whole - as much as wine is part of the French way of life, or vodka in Eastern Europe. Rum serves as a link to the past, both the mythical and the real; from the decks of pirate ships to the sugarcane fields of the centrales azucareras Rum is a staple in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is the biggest producer of rum in the world. The list of rums, from mixers to delicate liquid gold that rivals the world's finest brandies, include familiar names like Bacardi, Palo Viejo, Don Q, Ron Llave, Licor 43, and El Barrilito. Rum is such a part of Puerto Rico that there is a festival called Taste of Rum festival dedicated solely to Rum which is held annually. Since I can't afford to take everyone to the festival as part of my presentation what I could afford to do was make some Coquito, a popular coconut and rum beverage traditionally served around the holidays throughout Puerto Rico. Everyone that makes Coquito has their own recipe so I handed out a basic recipe which was given to me by my friend from which you can venture as per your imagination as I did for my recipe.

Much like eggnog, coquito is a rich holiday drink meant for sipping and savoring. A little goes a long way, especially because it's loaded with several tasty ingredients like coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. And, it contains