Things to Do›Beverages
07 · Beverages
Cream Liqueur Tasting.
A half-hour tasting of Puerto Rican cream liqueurs — coquito and other small-batch coconut-and-rum dessert pours from artisan distillers across the island.
The Activity
Puerto Rico's dessert glass.
Coquito is Puerto Rico's holiday drink — coconut cream, rum, vanilla, cinnamon, and sometimes egg yolk — but the artisan version of it has become a year-round thing, with small distillers across the island making their own takes. This tasting walks you through several expressions, from the classic to the experimental (cafecito-coquito, guava, dulce de leche).
It's a thirty-minute, small-group experience. The pours are real and the descriptions go beyond "tastes good" — you'll learn how the makers balance the rum-to-cream ratio, why some age longer, what changes when they swap white rum for añejo.
Why people love it
Because coquito is one of those things tourists hear about and never actually drink properly. Most visitors leave the island without trying a good one. This tasting fixes that in 30 minutes and gives you bottle recommendations for the airport on your way home.
Why we love it
It's the rum tour for people who don't think they like rum. The cream + coconut + vanilla makes everything go down easy — and the artisan versions are properly excellent. Linda's favorite is usually the cafecito-coquito. Bryce keeps coming back to a guava one from a small Cayey maker.
Pair it with the bar crawl or the pitorro tasting and you have a full beverage education in an afternoon.
Pro tips
- Have something solid in your stomach. Cream + rum looks innocent and isn't.
- Take notes. The variations between makers are real — you'll want to remember.
- Buy a bottle on-site. Most artisan coquito doesn't reach the mainland.
- Refrigerate after opening — the cream is real.
- Cash tip for the host.
- Pair with the bar crawl for a full evening of education and tasting.
The logistics
- Duration: about 30 minutes
- Difficulty: easy
- Group size: small
- Restrictions: 21+
- Location: Old San Juan
- Distance from the house: ~15 min by Uber
