#FoodieFriday with Cruzan Foodie is back again! This week’s item is an immediate indicator that Christmas is on the horizon on St. Croix. You can’t celebrate Christmas in St. Croix without a tall glass of coquito! Originating from neighboring  island Puerto Rico, this coconut based alcoholic beverage is often described as Puerto Rican eggnog. Since 1917, a number of Puerto Rican descendants migrated to the US Virgin Islands. This makes Puerto Ricans the largest number of migrants to the territory. We’ve been blessed with a rare cultural link between the islands that brought about a number of shared traditions like enjoying coquito during the festive holiday season!

SEE ALSO: #FoodieFriday – Armstrong’s Homemade Ice Cream

Coquito is such a highly regarded beverage on St. Croix that we have what is known as Coquito Festival. This long-running event, now in its 13^th year in 2022, features a number of participants who compete to have their coquito named the best and retain bragging rights for a year! It takes place every year at La Reine Chicken Shack complete with live music, a visit by Santa Claus giving gifts and taking pictures with the kids, and of course, countless bottles and samples of this rum spiked beverage available for purchase. First prize winner receives $500 plus a free iPhone with one year service provided by Viya Wireless Network. Second and third prize winners receive $300 and $200, respectively and the winner of best bottle presentation get $200. The best part is that there is no fee to enter competition, meaning you literally have nothing to lose! There are also new twists on the original coquito recipe with the addition of flavors such as pistachio, chocolate and espresso that many try their hand at making. The 2022 Coquito Festival takes place on Saturday December 17th from about 12pm until midnight. Follow La Reine Chicken Shack on Facebook here for all event updates.

Don’t be too sad if you can’t make it to the US Virgin Islands for the holidays. Lucky for you, I have a two options to get you a taste of coquito this holiday season. The Cruzan Foodie Goodie Box Winter Edition features COQUITO BUTTER COOKIES! That’s right – it’s coquito in a cookie and the best thing that could happen to a sweet treat since Moses parted the Red Sea. Purchase your goodie box by clicking here to get these coquito butter cookies and four (4) other yummy holiday Virgin Islands treats delivered directly to your doorstep. Buy one for yourself or gift it to your favorite foodie. Trust me when I say they’ll love you for it. Don’t delay – get your Cruzan Foodie Goodie Box here!

The other option is a foolproof coquito recipe you can make in the comfort of your own home. I would much rather you visit St. Croix and get a taste at Coquito Festival or from one of the booths at our Crucian Christmas Carnival Village (December 30^th to January 7^th), but this recipe will have to do for now. You can see how I make it in the video below and give it a try yourself. Let me know how it turns out!

Until Next Time,

Q the Cruzan Foodie