1-Step 1: Sanitize and Prepare Begin by sanitizing your bottles: fill them with hot water for 10 minutes and add cinnamon sticks. This step ensures your Coquito stays fresh and safe.

2-Step 2: Make the Spice Tea Prepare the spice tea by boiling coconut water with cinnamon sticks, star anise, a split vanilla bean, whole cloves, and allspice berries, then steep for 10-15 minutes. Once done, strain the tea into a blender and add cream of coconut, warming it if needed to melt the fat cap.

3-Step 3: Blend the Mixture In the blender, combine the spice tea with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, white rum, gold rum, spiced rum, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and optional pure vanilla extract. Blend for one minute on medium-low speed until smooth. If using eggs for a variation, gradually whisk them into the warm tea first, though authentic Coquito skips this.

4-Step 4: Strain and Bottle Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a tea towel into the sanitized bottles, leaving one inch of headspace. Refrigerate for at least 48 hours to let the flavors meld.