Love in the Time of Colada: A Christmas Colada Cocktail

This week’s Bon Appeteach “Book Club” story is all about your classic- Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy tries to win girl back… 50 years later type of deal. It’s a love story that goes on for over five decades, til at last, the two characters can find a way to be together, after so many years of being apart. Well, that was kinda poetic for a Friday “Book Club”, don’t you think? I try. This week’s drink is a take on the classic colada with fun notes of cinnamon for a festive holiday feel. I chose the colada for a few reasons, but mostly because it reminds me of the caribbean, of the beach, and of the last three years where I spent Christmas in South Florida. However, there was always something seriously odd about Christmas lights wrapped around a palm tree. Find the full recipe for the Christmas Colada Cocktail below and read on for this week’s food pairing too!

A Christmas Colada Cocktail:

• 3 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 2 oz. Cream of Coconut
• 1 oz. Black Rum (Gosling’s Black Seal)
• 1 oz. Blended  Lightly Aged Rum (Appleton Estate Blend)
• 1/2 oz. Falernum
• 2 oz. Muddled Pineapple
• Garnish- Toasted Coconut, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg Rim, Pineapple Stems and cherries

Shaken, Not Stirred-

This cocktail is my version of a colada on the rocks. I really enjoy using different types of rum in my tiki cocktails. Use what you prefer! Start by adding crushed ice to a cocktail shaker and pour in the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, each of the rums, and the falernum. Muddle the pineapple in a glass and add it into the cocktail shaker. Shake on ice until chilled and pour into a glass. I garnished the rim with a bit of toasted coconut seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, a few pineapple stems, and a few real maraschino cherries.

Food Pairing-

This week’s food pairing had to have a nice “fun in the sun” theme as well. Apparently I just decided I was going to boycott December on the blog today and go for broke. This week, I made these scrumptious Smoked Jerk Chicken Pork Rind Nachos to go with my Christmas Colada Cocktail. Make a simple homemade jerk marinade, let the chicken rest (can even be made same day or reduced down and made with a rotisserie chicken too). I prefer to grill my chicken but this recipe works great with a nice cast iron sear or even roasted in the oven. Slice the chicken, layer up the nachos, and smoke them till cheesy and bubbly. Top with all the best fixings and serve them up to share (or don’t)!

Well, we only have one more week left in our Fall Bon Appeteach “Book Club” series. I cannot wait for next week’s theme (cause I’m a 90’s kid and this book is my jam). Don’t worry, the plans for the Winter “Book Club” series are already in the works. Stay tuned and follow my Friday drink making shenanigans over on Instagram too!

Bon Appeteach,

-L